The Ninth Gate
by LeeRawks
Summary: Eight gates keep man from absolute physical perfection. By undergoing intense training, one can learn how to open these gates, allowing the user to surpass their own physical limits at the cost of extreme damage to their own body. But what if there were a ninth gate?
1. Flowers

I don't know where I'm going with this story. Let's find out together. It's definitely a Rock Lee story, though, because Lee is fucking awesome. Not sure what pairing to feature, so YOUR REVIEWS MAY CHANGE THE COURSE OF THIS FANFIC. But probably not.

Ah, one thing I've got to explain is that this is set approx. half a year into Naruto's training, the timeskip, etc. While diplomacy between Konoha and Suna is growing stronger, different Orochimaru-affiliated badguys raid the village now and then. Slightly AU? Je ne sais…

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and this work of fiction is non-profit. **

Without further adooooo;

The Ninth Gate

Ino Yamanaka walked through the main road in Konoha- the most direct route from the village entrance to the Hokage's building and monument.

Despite being rather in her own thoughts, the girl avoided walking into anybody on the crowded path, gracefully stepping around slow walkers.

It had taken a little bit of adjusting, but Ino was finally getting used to the delivery service that her family flower shop now provided, in lieu of the most recent attack on Konoha. Flowers, whilst being a cherished reminder of affection, especially in dark times such as these, were a low priority to a community that had to reconstruct itself.

Ino _was _the delivery service for Yamanaka Flowers. It made for great exercise, and provided an opportunity to be the first to see some of Konaha's juiciest drama, rather than getting second hand knowledge from Sakura or Tenten or somebody. The job wasn't half bad.

The blonde veered off onto a slightly more narrow street, heading for the hospital. Still lost in her thoughts, Ino barely reacted to the blur of green careening towards her.

She dodged to the left, but couldn't completely avoid impact. Rock Lee, arrayed in his usual green spandex bodysuit, had been running towards the main road when he crashed into Ino.

What was unusual- or what _would_ have been unusual for anyone not familiar with Lee- was the fact that he was running on his hands, rather than his legs.

His legs were still wrapped in bandages from injuries he had gotten while fighting off Sound Ninja; Ino assumed that Lee had not exactly been released from the hospital yet.

Before Ino's mind could register the slight pain in her right shoulder, Lee had already pushed himself back onto his hands and was apologizing: ranting furiously about how he had hurt her and would do anything to gain forgiveness because he didn't want to ruin a most youthful friendship.

Ino rolled her eyes, nursing her upper arm and shoulder. It would bruise slightly, and that was no small matter, but it probably wasn't enough to warrant Lee's over-excited apology.

"Lee, Lee!" exclaimed the blonde, silencing his rave.

The green-garbed martial artist looked up at the girl sheepishly, blushing with shame when he noticed the bouquet of flowers in her hand- or what was left of it.

What looked like it had been a beautiful array of colour now was just paper wrapping, clutching a few stems and one… one lotus flower in full bloom. The other flowers had been scattered all over the street, and while some had seen the collision and stepped around the plants, others had trampled on them.

Lee apologized again, this time for ruining her bouquet, and offering to pay to replace it.

"They were for you. I was delivering to your hospital room." Ino said, giving the martial artist a look that spoke volumes: Ino would still be going to the hospital, to inform whoever was on duty that a patient had escaped.

Lee chuckled nervously. "Give me a ten second head-start?" He joked, knowing that the nurses wouldn't take kindly to a runaway.

Ino smirked, briefly, enjoying the playful banter. Unfortunately, she couldn't allow Lee any freedom; as they both knew that he would be back to the training field, pushing himself ever harder.

Sakura would _kill_ Ino if she let Lee go.

Both his legs had been burnt, causing the skin to bubble grotesquely. When the Sound Ninja had attacked the village a second time, regrouping after Orichimaru's failure to subjugate Konoha, Lee had taken an active role in securing a part of the forest once the main group had been fended off, and taken some serious damage.

While single-handedly rousting a mid-sized camp of Sound Chunin and Jounin, who might easily have contributed to a third attack on the Leaf, Lee managed to let his mind stray from the mission.

He thought he heard Sakura.

In hindsight, Lee understood now that the musical note that adorned the forehead protector of Sound Ninja meant more than that they loved music. Music was Youthful. Using a genjutsu variant that projected a certain sound or voice wasn't.

In the heat of battle, however, when a single blow to the right opponent can change the tides of battle and grant victory, rational thought is sometimes replaced by a type of passionate adrenaline that makes a man fight like a beast.

Lee, upon hearing Sakura's voice scream in terror, darted off at an incredible speed, in the direction of her voice, and… straight into a trap. A chakra-laced net had been stretched between two of four stout trees, and cloaked in genjutsu.

Within seconds, several other chakra-nets had been hoisted between the four trees, trapping Lee into a sort of flexible cage.

Still, with one thing on Lee's mind- his promise to Sakura, and to himself, that he would protect her no matter what- Lee fought onward, doing his best to plow straight through the net.

With his back turned to his enemies, the Sound Ninja stepped to the flexi-cage, watching Lee rage around, powerless.

A Sound Ninja; the group's genjutsu specialist, released one more illusion.

Rock Lee felt his movements grind to a halt as he looked down. The leaves that had covered the forest floor inside the cage had disappeared; they hadn't been there at all, in fact. In their place lay scores of fire tags.

A burst of determination swept across Lee's crestfallen face, as he all but shouted: "Fifth Gate: Open!"

Lee had released the Limit Gate, an energy limitation that kept the body healthy, at the price of severely cutting strength and speed levels.

The chakra gates did more than just enhance speed and strength, however. Rock Lee's blood began to flow at an astonishing rate, pounding at his blood vessels and flaring his capillaries to the point that his skin became a devilish red.

Muscle tissue began to tear, strained by the sudden opening of the fifth gate, as opposed to the gradual process of opening them one by one. In a situation like this, speed was absolutely essential.

Rock Lee leapt at one of the chakra nets, tearing it open with pure muscle and determination.

He was halfway through the barrier when the Sound Ninja ignited the fire tags.

Rock Lee's green suit smouldered, the material refusing to burn off, but rather sticking to his skin. Rock Lee was incredibly thankful for the fourth gate, the gate of pain, because it blocked his brain from his nerve receptacles, and he felt no pain.

Rock Lee, with fire both in his eyes and clinging to his skin, burst out of the trap. He was carried forward by the concussive blast of the explosion, the flames having only one opening to go through.

The fire that poured out into the forest, setting foliage ablaze and disorienting the Sound Ninja that weren't already knocked out lapped against Lee's body as he worked his way around the area, systematically rendering his enemies unconscious.

When the last of the Sound Ninja – the genjutsu master, by coincidence- had been dealt with, Rock Lee patted out the flames lapping at his skin, and lay down on a dirt patch, waiting for the Gates to automatically close; hoping for the sweet relief of unconsciousness to wash over his tired body.

It didn't take long for his wish to be granted.


	2. Stretcher

Hey,

An update! cool.

**Disclaimer: fiction! nonprofit! I don't own shiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeet.**

* * *

Ino smirked at the week-old memories. When four solid hours passed, and Lee failed to show up for Gai's surprise evening training session of youth, Maito Gai _flipped. _

The taijutsu specialist raced around the village, asking everybody- even those who weren't ninja- if they had seen Lee. Nobody had.

Gai's next stop was the Hokage Tower. Perhaps Tsunade had sent Lee on a mission without informing Gai? It had happened before.

Rather than going through the front door, which would have forced Gai to wait for an opening in Tsunade's schedule, Gai chose to make his own appointment. He ran up the walls of the Hokage tower, stopping only to enter the Hokage's office through the window.

"Gai." Tsunade greeted simply, laying a thick stack of documents, topped with a small map of the Fire Country, on her desk.

Gai rushed around the the front of Tsunade's desk, frantically.

"Hokage-sama, Lee is…"

"Missing, I know. I assigned him to an S-rank mission, clearing out two Sound campsites." Tsunade interrupted.

"Whe…"

"Lee was ordered to attack this campsite first," Tsunade pointed to a red circle on her map, "and then strike… here."

Gai nodded, prepared to leave through the window. He poked his head in one more time, with another question on his lips. "Who told you tha…"

"Kakashi. It seems he's experimenting with teleportation; some type of time-space jutsu."

* * *

With a grunt, Gai flung himself out of the window, padding his feet with enough chakra to absorb the ground's impact without damaging the street. He rolled into a dead sprint, glad that there were less people walking in the evening.

He almost ran past the Hyuga mansion, but managed to veer in the stout entrance. He said a quick hello to Hinata as she jumped aside and into a wall to avoid him.

"H-h-hello." Hinata stuttered, smiling bashfully at her cousin's teacher. Gai had finally stopped running, and was apologizing for disturbing Hinata when Neji stepped out of another room.

The Byakugan wielding Hyuga clan were famously perceptive, and Neji knew immediately that something was wrong.

"Lee still hasn't shown up?" he asked.

"Lee is somewhere in the forest. Tsunade-sama sent him after some Sound Ninja."

"Yes…" Neji prodded his teacher to continue.

"He was assigned to tear up two camps. I want you to check for him… here." Gai pointed to the closer location. Gai could get farther, faster.

* * *

Lee's return to the village was characteristically tenacious, Ino thought, as she watched Lee try to gather the scattered flowers.

Ino, being Konoha's foremost gossipmonger, had laughed when she heard what Lee's awakening words had been. He was being carried on Neji's back, and coughed a little, trying to gain his voice.

"We're almost to Konoha, Lee. You _must_ rest."

Lee would have none of it. "H-hey Neji. Let's fight. I'll surpass you today."

Before Neji could respond, Lee had slipped back into darkness.

When Lee came around again, he was in a hospital bed. Sakura Haruno was tending to his wounds, panning over the fighter's legs with her green healing aura.

Maito Gai, as much a father to Lee as he was his teacher and doppelganger, hovered nervously near the bed. He had returned some time after Neji had informed an ANBU team that there was a small forest fire to be put out, and a Jounin to deliver news to.

Neji and Tenten sat beside each other, silently supporting Rock Lee.

Eventually, Lee stirred, groggy with sleep pills. Sakura had sighed; she should have known better than to use a regular dosage with somebody with Lee's metabolism. She nodded to Gai, preparing him for the possibility of an adverse reaction: a raging Lee whose psyche was still in the forest momentarily.

Gai didn't need to use physical force. When Lee finally opened his eyes, his face lit up like a tomato. The proximity of his crush in her nurse uniform made him blush, and brought him to reality.

The next thing that took Lee's attention was the pain in his legs. Rock Lee clamped his mouth shut painfully to avoid screaming. He would _not_ show weakness.

'If I make any noise, I will run a thousand laps around the village!' became his mental mantra, engaging his self-discipline training system.

The pain showed in Lee's face, however, and the entire room could see through his tough-guy visage. Everybody in the room cringed, Tenten shuddering slightly with empathy for her teammate.

Rock Lee looked up into Sakura's emerald eyes, pleading silently for another anesthetic.

Sakura obliged him, piercing his… rather thick skin with a needle and squirting a translucent fluid into his arm. She watched as Lee's eyes glazed over, becoming moist and dull because of the chemical.

Before Lee passed out, he lifted his hand to stroke Sakura's forearm, straining to keep eye contact. "I'm glad…' he struggled, 'you're alright.' And, with a lazy smile, Rock Lee was out for the night.

* * *

Over the next few days, nearly everybody in the village had visited the hospital, and Lee had no shortage of visitors. Ino always had at least one order of flowers for him on her trips to the hospital, and the two Leaf Genin managed to share a few brief conversations.

Today's bouquet had been requested by Tenten, who was taking part in Team Gai's effort to keep Lee from going to train. If Maito Gai himself disapproved, he hadn't said anything, but everybody knew that he supported Lee's self-disciplinary methods.

Ino, feeling a little less sadistic than usual, had had enough of watching Lee struggle to gather the flowers. "That's enough, Lee. Let's walk back to the hospital together. Can you use your legs at all?"

Lee didn't respond. He simply lay down on his back, silently praying that nobody stepped on him, and slowly rocked himself to a sitting position. From there, he pushed himself up with his fists.

He gratefully accepted Ino's outstretched hand, and thanked her deeply, perched on shaky legs.

"You're one tough guy." Ino remarked, draping Lee's muscular arm over her shoulders. Rock Lee smiled a brilliant smile, ready- as always- to rant about the power of youth.

This time, he didn't get the chance. Ino gave her warmest smile, and handed Lee the remaining flower. It was his flower; a lotus.

Lee felt his cheeks heat up slightly, mesmerized by the smile that only found its way out of the recesses of Ino's heart rarely. "Heh, thanks, Ino!" he laughed, taking the flower.

Ino placed her hand on his lower back, silently supporting him as he moved forward.

They made the short journey to the hospital, with Lee's small winces and hisses of disguised pain not going unnoticed by his blonde friend.

Sakura Haruno burst through the front doors of the hospital, still dressed in her hospital uniform. Her eyes scanned the street in front of her with the sharp accuracy of a kunai markswoman, and it wasn't long before her emerald orbs had locked onto Lee and Ino, who, together, were as big a target as chouji.

The pink-haired girl gestured through the glass doors to a stretcher team, and they followed her to Lee.

To Ino's surprise, when Sakura caught up to Lee, she reached up to stroke his cheek.

"Lee, you're not well. In time you will be; but you have to trust me to take care of you."

Lee subconsciously tilted his face into the warmth of Sakura's hand, smiling like a loon. 'O-okay, Sakura-chan." He giggled, sitting cautiously onto the stretcher.

Ino excused herself with a less-than-dramatic clear of her throat, informing everyone present that she had to deliver more flowers. For once, Ino wasn't interested in gathering ammo for her gossip-cannon.

Before the blonde could get too far, however, she felt a calloused hand wrap around her wrist, and looked back to see Lee's blinding smile. "You should visit sometime, Ino-chan! I would enjoy such youthful company!"

Ino laughed, and the mood became light again. "Okay, Lee. Look forward to it!"

* * *

**Tell me what you think please. Honestly, I've got thick skin and can take critiques. pls revw. **

**N E 1 wanna suggest a cool cover picture? I played with photoshop today, but couldn't get anything too great. **

**Uh, still don't know where I'm taking this. Mebbe some foreshadowing next chapter. Don't want to go TOO far off center here. The fanfic is called the Ninth Gate, and so I've got to write about chakra gates more. **

**plssss revieeeew.**

*********UPDATE*** I've opened a poll. Vote on Rock Lee's romantic pairing! pls**


	3. Clock

Hello, all! Another update. Liking the fic so far?

A little less Ino in this chap. Lots less Ino, actually. Hmmm. Either way, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I liked writing it.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. pls don't sue me. This fic is for entertainment only, I'm not making any money.**

* * *

His breathing seemed even, and that was enough to satisfy Sakura. She closed the door to his hospital room quietly, and walked to the next patient.

A week after Lee's first escape attempt, he was still in recovery. With Sakura's medical care, Lee's legs began to look healthier; at least the skin looked a little less like lasagna.

But Sakura was stumped. A little over a month had passed since Lee had returned to the village wounded, and Lee should have been all but healed by now. What was keeping a healthy- and that was an understatement- boy like Lee healing at such a snail's pace?

All the same, it was nice having one of her friends rely on her. Sakura seemed to have spent so much of her youth relying on others; Ino, Sasuke, and most recently Naruto.

Lady Tsunade's tutelage had definitely put her in a different position; others relied on her now. Still, the small girl that Sakura had been a year earlier was sometimes haunting, especially when sifting through the hordes of faceless, thankless patients.

A glint of appreciation in familiar eyes was sometimes all it took to remind Sakura that she _was_ important, when her old inferiority complex reared its head.

And with Rock Lee around, there was no shortage of appreciation. He fawned over her, complimenting _everything. _His face always lit up when she entered the room. Lee was like a puppy. A puppy with a bowl cut.

What seemed to excite Lee even more than her visits was the fact that Sakura was slowly giving Lee more privileges.

She gave him permission to leave the hospital every once in a while, under the conditions that he be supervised by someone she trusted, and that he wasn't allowed to use his legs. Rehabilitation, she had said, must be taken a few steps at a time, and in a safe environment.

The ones Sakura trusted were the ones that visited Lee most often… with the noted exception of Maito Gai.

Gai, Neji, and Tenten visited most frequently, of course, both individually and as a group. Ino visited fairly often as well, though most of her visits were on official business; dropping off flowers, picking up gossip. Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Shino had shown up as well

Lee had been out for barbecue and Ramen with the guys, and Ino signed Lee out to help with a delivery. Sakura was supposed to think that they were just going for a stroll, but she had happened to glance out a window to see Lee padding around on his hands, a box of potted plants clenched between his toes.

Sakura had sighed, but decided not to interfere. Ino _was _still supervising, walking beside Lee.

Slowly, surely, Lee began taking baby steps. Sakura had been incredulous when he had _walked_ to the hospital with Ino after his first escape. Those had been his first steps since he'd been back, but it seemed he had been practicing.

And so he was rehabilitated one step at a time, in a small hospital room that was equipped with a pair of solid railings, meant to be walked in between and used for support.

Lee's idea of rehab, however, was breaking out of the hospital on whatever limb would carry him, and heading straight for the training field.

Sakura didn't take it personally. Someone like Lee couldn't be satisfied sitting around in a hospital room, and she was glad that he got to go out with his friends every so often.

The only time they had gone anywhere together was on Sakura's day off. She signed Lee out, and walked with him to Ramen Ichiraku, where everybody had gathered to congratulate Lee on surviving one month in the hospital.

Sakura teased that it was necessary to get him out, or he would get out by himself.

"You can take the boy out of the training field," remarked Shikamaru, using a tired cliché, "but you can't take the training out of the boy."

* * *

Rock Lee lay on his hospital bed, and cracked his intertwined fingers above his face.

Not much happened at Konoha Hospital. Of course, it was good to see Sakura, and his friends were always willing to bring entertainment; curling weights, books and comics mostly. Kakashi had snuck a copy of Icha Icha paradise under his pillow.

Lee found it in the morning, and being his naïve self, failed to recognize it as pornography until the first sex scene.

Lee was the type of reader who followed the words on the page with his finger, and subconsciously mouthed them. 'Koiga slipped his tongue into Shigure's mouth, reaching down to cup her…' Lee's eyes grew even wider than normal, and with a jerk of his wrist, he through the book against the wall.

When Sakura burst into the room, carrying her high heels which would otherwise have prevented her from running, she didn't see the open window and empty be that she had expected.

Rather, Lee was hunched into a ball, rocking back and forth on his butt. His fingers were interlaced under his knees, and he was shaking his head like a maniac. "Too… youthful…" he repeated.

Sakura laughed when she saw a copy of the book Kakashi always read, and removed it- holding it only with her thumb and forefinger, like one might hold a dead animal. With Jiraiya gone to train Naruto, there was only one suspect. She would have to have a serious conversation with her sensei.

Lee would probably have to confront Gai as well, and ask for an explanation on the… contents of that book, he thought as he watched Sakura leave.

After a few more minutes in the fetal position, Lee calmed down enough for his breathing to return to a steady pace. He glanced at the clock on the wall, and smiled. Supper would be soon.

The clock that hung opposite Lee's bed had taunted him for a long time. Watching the hands creep forward so slowly pained him, as he'd rather spend every second improving himself.

After about a week of clock watching, Tenten had gotten the hint and brought him some weights; just simple curling irons and the like. The weapon mistress used her item summoning scrolls to transport the weights; they were Lee's personal set, and weighed a ton.

So, Lee decided to build some (more) upper body muscle.

* * *

Maito Gai slurped his Ramen in relative silence. Kakashi thought it was odd, but chalked it up to his favorite student being hospitalized.

All the same, Gai's rambling proclamations and constant challenges were commonplace, and his blank stare was almost intimidating.

"Gai… Is everything alright? I mean, I know that Lee took some damage, but he'll recover. He always does."

"Kakashi." Gai said, finishing his mouthful of miso ramen. "You are my oldest friend, and you're like a brother to me. Lee… Lee is as much a son as I have ever, and most likely will ever have."

Kakashi's one visible eye widened slightly at his friend and rival's tone- more stony and serious than he had ever heard it.

"Lee will be able to surpass me. To be able to open five of the gates at his age is _inhuman._" Gai sighed, leaning back in his chair and examining his chopsticks. "I'm sure he'll be able to survive the aftereffects of releasing the Eighth Gate."

"Death?" Kakashi leaned forward. "You think that Lee will be able to overcome death itself?"

Gai's eyes grew... almost cold, Kakashi imagined. "Yes. What's more, the power of the Gate of Death won't be able to satisfy him."

* * *

**So. Gai is kinda scaring me. What could he be talking about? Could it be the mysterious****_ Ninth Gate? _****Tune in tomorrow. Same bat time, same bat channel. **

**Review please. It'll make my heart grow three sizes ****_and _****save Christmas. do it pls**

*********UPDATE*** I've opened a poll. Vote on Rock Lee's romantic pairing! pls**


	4. Beasts

Shieeeet. Four updates in four days? behold the power of having nothing better to do!

Haha.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of it's characters. This story is a work of fiction, and hasn't earned any money.**

* * *

The pair of Jounin left the ramen shop together, but parted ways shortly after. Gai was a man with a mission, but his mood had lightened. As a parting shot, he declared that the next time he met with Kakashi, he would give him an opportunity to tie up the rivalry scoreboard, which stood 75-77 in Gai's favour, at present.

Gai walked down to the training field that his team frequented; the one with the most damaged training posts. Neji and Tenten were already training.

They were working to improve the timing of their attacks. Tenten was doing her best to penetrate Neji's absolute defense, while he strove to keep her kunai from hitting him. It was dangerous play, but Tenten seemed to be using dull weapons.

Gai called his students over. "Youthful day, isn't it?" He smiled down at the two genin, and they murmured a reply. Gai couldn't hear, but they were most likely questioning his sanity; there had been a coldsnap, and frost covered the ground on a summer day.

"Well, no matter." Gai dismissed their poor attitudes with a wave of his hand. Lee's absence was bound to affect more than him, of course. "Hokage-sama has deigned to give us a (youthful) mission this (youthful) morning. We are to (youthfully) liberate a (youthful) village held hostage by (unyouthful) wild beasts."

Gai joked that there could only be one beautiful blue beast in Fire Country, but Tenten felt that he was overcompensating for the lack of his protégé.

"Let's go, then." Neji said. It had been about a week since team Gai had received a serious mission, and the genius was ready to get some practice in against a real threat.

Tenten was very skilled, but she had her limits. Neji missed being able to spar with somebody that was limitless and irrepressible. He wouldn't admit it, but Neji missed Lee.

Gai nodded. "This particular (and youthful) village is a two days' journey ahead. We may be gone for an entire (youthful) week, depending on how fast we can (youthfully) discover what (unyouthful) menace is driving these animals to attack."

"Oh…" Tenten sighed. The team had never been that long without Lee, especially so far away. It was rather upsetting. "We'll have to say goodbye to Lee, won't we."

Maito Gai affirmed this. "Yes. Visit Lee, pack your bags, say your goodbyes; we leave at dusk.

The team split, agreeing to visit Lee separately today. They all took different amounts of time to pack their bags.

For Gai, packing was as simple as pulling several identical outfits out of a closet and stuffing them into a bag or a summoning scroll, depending on the length of the mission. Tenten had more outfits to choose from, and took considerably longer, but it was Neji-who was quite vain- that took the longest to pack all of his hair care gels and creams and slimes and organic goop.

Gai was the first to visit his doppelganger.

* * *

Lee had just finished breakfast, and was doing some curling reps when his teacher _dynamic entry'd_ into the room. Gai, upon seeing Lee working so youthfully, let loose twin rivers of tears. They streamed down his face as the standard genjutsu sunset began to form behind the pair.

Lee all but threw his dumbbell down, and spread his arms open just as fast. He began to cry the same joyful (and youthful) tears as his sensei, and in minutes, the two were wrapped in a tight embrace, weeping openly.

A wave crashed loudly against Maito Gai's genjutsu beach, gleaming in the sun and reflecting what would have been almost homoerotic, had it been two different men.

Before long, the tears had run out, and Gai gingerly separated himself from his student, careful of the still-sensitive legs.

"Lee! We're going on a youthful mission, and leaving you behind!"

Ouch.

Lee welled up again, tears of pain and anguish now blurring his vision.

"On top of that, I'm here to give you a youthful mission of your own!" Gai snapped, not mincing words at all. "I am giving you exactly one week to recover, by any means necessary."

Lee nodded, wiping his eyes with his bed sheet.

"Should you disappoint me here, and fail to recover fully, I will be forced to ask Tsunade-sama for a different student. And…" Here Gai grimaced, "you will be required to turn in your legwarmers.

Lee gasped. So harsh, and for something that wasn't even in his control!

But then Lee smiled through his tears. He understood, now. It was all so clear. A month of clock watching, of moping, and of self-pity flashed before Lee's eyes.

_Nothing_ was out of Lee's control. Nothing. Be it uncanny injuries that wouldn't heal, or a rival that wouldn't be surpassed, or even being born without any chakra kneading skill, Lee could overcome any obstacle. All he needed was to work hard.

Lee was torn from his revelry by the sound of the door swinging open. He looked up to see Gai leaving. "Gai-sensei!" he called. "Will… will I ever be…"

"You're already a splendid ninja, Lee." Gai interrupted, looking over his shoulder to deliver a ultra-white 'nice-guy' smile.

* * *

Neji was next to visit. Lee had put aside his weights, and was mulling over Gai's words atop his bed. Neji knocked twice before stepping in.

"Hello, Lee. Am I last to visit?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the hospital bed.

"Only Gai-sensei has been in this morning." Lee said.

"Ah, I imagined Tenten would already have come by."

Lee nodded, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to sit with Neji. "So, where are you three going?"

Neji glanced at Lee, bewildered. "Gai-sensei didn't tell you? We're going to rescue a village from some wild animals."

"What!? Wild beasts? But only I can be the beautiful green beast on Konoha!" Lee said, and Neji laughed at how similar he was to his sensei.

Lee joined in with the laughter, but before long it had faded, and the atmosphere became awkward.

"Lee," Neji began, "I wanted to apologize. For some time now, I've treated you… I've said some really… I haven't…"

Rock Lee put him out of his misery. "Don't apologize, Neji-san. Were it not for your brutality, I would never consider you a rival. You are definitely a super-cool source of youth!'

Neji smiled, glad that there was an understanding between the two boys. An understanding that said: 'In a week, I'll kick your ass!'

The two shook hands, and Neji excused himself. He wanted to spend some time with Hinata and Hanabi before leaving Konoha.

* * *

Tenten had indeed been delayed. She finished packing with haste, trying to get in as much time with Lee as possible, but took a detour to Yamanaka Flowers.

Ino was clearing some dust off of a selection of vases when Tenten appeared, signaled by the ringing of a bell hung above the door.

Ino glanced up, and smiled when she saw her friend. "Hello, Tenten! In for another order? Same as last time?"

"Yes and no." Tenten responded. "I'd like my usual bouquet, but I want to deliver them personally today."

Ino arched a carefully groomed eyebrow. "Oh?"

Tenten blushed slightly. "I'm going to visit today, and I thought I would bring them along myself. We've got to say goodbye before going off on a mission."

"I see. Well, give me a minute or two, and I'll put together something for you." Ino beamed. She was in her element.

The weapon's mistress nodded, pulling out a change purse from… somewhere. She slid an exact amount onto the counter; she had made this purchase several times before and had it down to the yen.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that today, Ten-chan. I'll cover it." Ino said, flapping a hand nonchalantly.

"Ino? Are you feeling alright? You're not usually this… generous." Tenten ventured.

"Don't be silly, don't be silly!" Ino hadn't yet stopped with the hand flapping.

Tenten frowned. "Treat me to tea or barbeque sometime, Ino. I'd rather buy Lee's flowers myself, if that's alright with you."

Something flitted over Ino's features, but it was gone before Tenten could recognize her expression.

"Okay, Tenten. It's no big deal." The blonde handed Tenten her bouquet, and took the payment.

It would be hours before Tenten would discover that Ino had slipped the money back into Tenten's purse.

* * *

Lee was ready to return to rehab. He wouldn't make any fuss about the menial, repetitive steps that Sakura claimed were necessary to make a full recovery. He wanted, no, he _needed_ to heal.

However, going straight at an objective with full force required rest, and Lee hadn't gotten much of that recently. So, he determined to have a youthful nap, followed by a youthful nap, and then he would say goodnight to the youthful Sakura-chan, and sleep the youthful night away, youthfully.

Youth!

The day had been passed with more upper body building, and visitors. Lee was definitely ready to go for that nap.

* * *

Before he could rest, however, Tenten visited.

"Hey, Lee! How're you holding up?"

"Youthfully, of course!" Lee improvised a nice-guy pose, remaining where he sat on his bed.

Tenten sat down on the side of the bed as well, notably more close than Neji had. She pushed the bouquet of flowers towards Lee, who took them with a huge grin, and a miniature rant on friendship.

"I'm going to miss you, Lee. Try to get better, Okay?" smiled Tenten pleasantly.

At that moment, Sakura Haruno poked her head into the door. "Five minutes until morning visiting hours are up." And seeing another familiar face, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Tenten, you just got here."

Tenten smiled back, waving her friend on, as if to say: 'no big deal,' and Sakura left.

The weapon's mistress looked back at Lee, who seemed to be watching her curiously.

"Tenten…" Lee began. "You've always been more than supportive. I am going to get better. I _will_ recover, to protect the people I lo-"

Tenten pushed her head forward, claiming Lee's lips in a kiss that conveyed as much as a thousand of Lee's vibrant speeches.

* * *

**What just happened? Ah, my fingers moved on their own. Not that I hate the pairing! Tenten is reaaally cute. wat think, ye fanfic pirates? **

**REVIEW PLEASE I BEG YOU**

**I LOVE YOU ALL**

*********UPDATE*** I've opened a poll. Vote on Rock Lee's romantic pairing! pls**


	5. Wind

Updaaaaate! And hours earlier than yesterday, too! This is the power of a REVIEW! And YOUTH!11!one!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I'm simply a fan of the series, creating works of fiction. No profits being made here. **

* * *

Thinking about it still made Tenten's cheeks heat up. She fell slightly behind her teammates, bounding through the seemingly endless oak branches.

She didn't know why she did it. If anyone ever found out- and Sakura nearly did, checking in again to say that visitation hours were over, Tenten would chalk it up to hormones or allergies or a strong gust of wind that had pushed her forward.

Yes, that was it. It was a gust of wind that pushed her into Rock Lee's _strong, masculine _arms. A gust of wind that had kept her there for a full minute or two, pecking softly at Lee's _tender, masculine _lips that seemed to fit hers perfectly.

A gust of wind; the perfect alibi.

Tenten groaned, the helplessness of her situation truly sinking in. She didn't know when, where, or why, but she had developed feelings for her most loyal friend.

They were feelings that confounded her, and made her into an entirely different person. What else could cause her to argue with a close friend like Ino over something as silly as a monetary favour? And more importantly, what else could cause her to kiss Lee so abruptly?

Well, there was always the gust of wind theory.

The feelings that Tenten was slowly starting to accept apparently couldn't be contained, and could manifest themselves at any time.

The last thing the weapon's mistress needed was to start acting like a wimpy fan-girl, to develop a _Sasuke complex; _the term Sakura had coined at a slumber party, when asked how she had gotten over the raven-haired traitor.

Tenten's eyes grew wide, and she gasped. If Sakura had indeed matured past her Sasuke phase, then perhaps she would try to steal Lee…

Another groan passed her lips. One kiss; and she had essentially claimed Lee as her own, even going so far as to imply that Sakura might try to 'steal' him.

For a girl that had dedicated herself to being as sharp and deadly as a well-kept kunai, Tenten felt impossibly weak.

The idea of being… in love… sickened her.

* * *

Maito Gai readjusted his focus to yet another section of forest, wary of possible ambushes in such a dark forest. On a mission to fend off some ferocious animal, he wouldn't normally be so precautious.

This mission, however, didn't sit right with him. No other nearby villages had complained about any animal attacks at all. This village had no history with violent animals attacking, especially not actively like this.

That was another troubling point. Gai, as a martial artist, had to be a bit of a scientist, and had researched the basic attack techniques that animals used outside of hunting for food.

They all had one thing in common; whether it was the frantic blows of an orangutan, or the more calculated, precise swipe of a tiger's paw, animals acted in self defense.

Why were these vague 'wild beasts' putting on such an offensive face?

It didn't add up. If Gai was incapable of tying everything together, he certainly did know how to prepare for the worst. Neji stayed closer to the main group, having been told not to scout _too_ far ahead.

With Lee, who would usually protect the rear gone, Gai had to watch the rear as well as direct the overall flow of the team. Tenten was hovering near the back of the formation as well, and Gai was slightly worried. Her face seemed to be awfully red.

It would be most unyouthful if the group took sick _now,_ of all times.

For a ninja, life hung on a very thin wire, over a very deep pit. The slightest change in the direction of the wind could upset that delicate balance, and doom a mission to failure. Failure sometimes claimed lives. Gai hated failure.

All the same, it had been cold that morning, and it came as no huge surprise that Tenten might feel slightly under the weather.

He would confront her about when it was time to set up camp; it was far too early to slow down. There were lives on the line, and he wasn't about to risk their lives to save his own.

Self-sacrifice was nearly as important as self-discipline.

* * *

Neji was terrified.

While his Byakugan granted incredible peripheral vision, it didn't cover all three-hundred-sixty degrees. There was a blind spot directly behind his head. Neji knew this weakness all too well; it was exploited by his opponent while chasing after Sasuke earlier that year.

Neji couldn't shake the feeling that something… someone was in that blind spot. He tried shaking his head, jerking it wildly. Nothing could move _that_ fast, Neji assured himself. It was impossible to keep within the blind spot's field of view when it changed so swiftly.

Still, it seemed like there was something there. Haunting him; always at the very edge of his vision. A branch rustling here, a few leaves falling at the same time.

It scared him to no end; the fear of the unknown, coupled with the fear of his own powerlessness.

The Byakugan wielder slowed his pace. In his efforts to locate this mystery threat, he had peeled away from the group, which was travelling at a modest pace.

Being this far ahead, with the sun setting rapidly, casting long shadows across the forest, was more than unnerving. Neji slid to a stop on a mossy branch.

With his Byakugan focused on locating his sensei, he peered into the woods. Gai wasn't hard to locate; he was very… unique. Unique wasn't the word for it, but it was the one Neji chose to use out of respect for his teacher.

Relief washed over him as Gai and Tenten broke into the tiny clearing up in these boughs. Gai didn't voice his disapproval at Neji stopping. He didn't even exhort his student to be more youthful.

He stopped on the same branch as Neji, but hopped to the next one when he felt it sag under their combined weight.

"Neji." Gai drew the Hyuga's attention.

"Yes, Gai-sensei?"

"Do… do you feel a strong presence nearby?"

Neji was relieved; at least he wasn't going insane. "Yes. I can see something, but not really. No matter where I look, it always stays just at the edge of my vision. Even with the Byakugan, I can't lock onto whatever it may be."

Tenten hadn't been far behind Gai, and caught the last part of Neji's explanation.

"What? Is something following us?" She looked around, and couldn't seem to see anything. However a blanket of humidity seemed to have fallen on the area that had been cold just hours earlier, and it was slightly unsettling.

"It's nothing to worry about, Tenten!" Gai grinned. "Nothing that can't be sorted out youthfully!"

The Jounin looked out through the trees and saw that the sun was dangerously low in the west. "We'll camp in the next clearing. Keep your eyes open, Neji."

The dark haired boy smiled slightly, reactivating his Byakugan. "I always do."

* * *

The next clearing hadn't been too far away. Tenten could feel it now; whatever the boys had noticed. It felt like a nightmare, something so terrible that all you can do is run, though you don't know where you're running, or what you're running from.

It wasn't easy to ignore, even with the campfire roaring and Gai-sensei snoring nearby.

Tenten closed her eyes, mentally steeling herself, trying to block out any sources of fear or pain. When it was time to fight, she _would_ be a razor sharp tool that would pierce even the most fearso- Another loud snore. Tenten felt the ground shake a little at the sheer volume of it.

The weapon's mistress groaned for what seemed like the thousandth time that day, and relaxed out of her meditative state. Regardless of how many missions she had gone on as part of team Gai, she would never be quite accustomed to her teacher's sleeping habits.

Neji was leaning against the woodpile, reading a book. He didn't look like he would provide much company.

Tenten, frustrated to no end, lay down to capture a few hours of sleep.

* * *

Neji watched as Tenten settled into a deep sleep. Now, he was alone.

Apparently, Neji wasn't the only one who recognized his solitude. From the misty, humid forest stepped… something. Neji didn't know what it was, but knew that it wasn't friendly.

He activated his Byakugan, and saw… something. It wasn't an animal, but it wasn't a human either. It walked on two legs like a man, but had the barrel chest, bent legs, and head of a wolf.

"Hello, Neji-kun."

* * *

**WHO IS THIS MYSTERY CREATURE? The villain revealed, and... he's a furry!? Can Neji defeat this threat? What is Lee up to back in Konoha!? Wanna yiff!?**

**REVIEWS:**

**[xThug-Lyfe- I love you. You reviewed!  
You're absolutely right, though. Sometimes I feel like Lee's character is wasted on over-the-top comedy, and we forget that he's a genius of hard work. I do love Lee as a comedic character, but I've got ****_Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth_**** to get my fix. **

**I'll do my best not to disappoint! My first follower! My first review! You gave me inspiraaaaation!**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**And an erection.]**

*****UPDATE*** I've opened a poll. Vote on Rock Lee's romantic pairing! pls**


	6. Eyes

Hnnghrrrh. Update

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and I'm not making money.**

* * *

Lee was busy. He had woken up before dawn, and after some quick stretching, stood up on his legs. He determined that he had it in his power to stand like this until Sakura's first visit, which would be in a few hours.

An hour into his training, his legs began to ache. Lee smiled through the pain. It was at this moment, in this type of situation, when his true worth shone through.

"If I collapse, I will resign."

Welcome, Rock Lee, to self-discipline: do or die mode.

* * *

Sakura signed in at the hospital's front desk, and made her way down the recovery wing. The wing was nearly full; the Sound Ninja hadn't let off at all.

Tsunade wouldn't like it, but Sakura sometimes skipped past the first few patients on her list to visit Lee. It was nice having him around; of course Sakura couldn't wish his kind of injuries on _anybody_, but she enjoyed his company.

Sakura was confident that such an ambitious boy wouldn't stay bedridden long. Mystery ailment or not, Lee's will was absolutely irrepressible. She determined that when he was finally ready to leave, she would ask him to visit every now and then.

She knocked twice, as was customary, and entered Lee's hospital room.

The boy was perched on one leg, massaging the other with delicate hands.

"Lee!" Sakura cried. Lee would be hurt, putting so much stress on his legs. "Don't do that to yourself!"

"…I will recover. I will recover. I will recover…" Lee began to mumble. Sakura gasped; he had blacked out standing up. She wondered how long he had been standing there, trying to force his limbs to return to their former glory.

Sakura had to physically pick him up and put him on his bed, he couldn't hear her. She thanked Tsunade silently for the ability to knead chakra into her muscles, or she'd never be able to lift Lee's muscled body.

He blinked back into the realm of the living, seeing Sakura as if for the first time. The closeness of the object of his affections wasn't the first thing on his mind, though.

"Did I collapse?" he asked, taking Sakura by her shoulders.

"Collapse?" She giggled, shrugging his hands off her shoulders. "Lee, I probably couldn't have pushed you down. You didn't collapse."

Lee rolled over onto his back. "Good." He sighed.

"Sakura-chan, could we start rehab early today?" Lee inquired.

"What's gotten into you?" Sakura asked, rubbing her palms together in preparation for her healing jutsu.

"I realised… I realised that I'm incapable of protecting those I love while I'm in here. I need to recover, Sakura-chan."

The pink-haired girl clicked her tongue a few times, mulling over Lee's words. "That's very… noble of you, Lee."

The taijutsu specialist grinned wide, and brought his thumb up, forming the signature 'nice guy' pose that he shared with his sensei.

"I've got to overcome the obstacles set in my path with hard work. It simply won't do; moping around, making excuses for why I'm not approaching my problem with full effort. The way I've been acting was not worthy of Gai-sensei's teaching."

* * *

Sakura could relate to Lee's feelings. Until Tsunade had arrived in Konoha, her own weakness was quicksand, and every effort that she made to improve herself just made her drop deeper. The fifth Hokage was a funnel; she channeled Sakura's will to improve and focused it into a rigorous training regime.

Maito Gai was the same type of figure to Lee, it seemed. Where Lee had the desire to become splendid, Gai had the simple means to do so.

Lee didn't possess any natural talent. He wasn't born with any ability past that of a common villager.

Of course, villagers were valuable; team seven would have disbanded long ago without Ichiraku Ramen playing the role of an unofficial headquarters.

Lee would never have been content just _existing_, however. It was plain to anybody that knew Lee that he was a ninja; he couldn't do anything less. After the Chunin exams, when Lee had been gravely injured, he defied nature itself by defying impossible odds and making a full recovery.

Lee was a ninja, through and through. His eyes told anyone who cared to look something, and told them loudly. Ironically, the message in Lee's eyes was the same that he had given Sakura: 'I will protect you. No matter what.'

Sakura smiled. She had thought it strange, this walking bowl cut professing undying love upon first seeing her. But now she realized that it was simply _Lee. _

The more she got to know the boy under the bowl cut, the more she realized that he would protect Naruto or Sasuke just as vigorously as he would protect her. To anyone who cared to look, the friendship that he offered freely was advertised in his eyes.

And for those who wouldn't look, Lee's eyes held another gleam. It was a look that shone with the experience of ten thousand push-ups, crunches, squats, and fifty thousand laps around Konoha's gates.

It was a quiet look, almost silent when compared to his boisterous promise to protect those he loved. It was quiet, but it sometimes broke through his loudest rants about youth. It was the glare of a tiger that'd been cornered.

Lee probably didn't know he was capable of communicating this second emotion with his eyes, and that was probably for the best.

It was reserved for those who underestimated him, and Sakura was thankful for that; it terrified her.

It simply said: 'I could kill you.'

* * *

Lee felt… nice, being back in the rehab room. His legs would heal, he had faith in them. Sakura watched him carefully as he completed the short walks and turns that were designed to rebuild stamina in the legs.

Lee was doing the exercise flawlessly. He knew that this was one of the first tasks on a long journey to recovering fully, but he was confident in his own abilities.

Regardless of what was thrown at him, he had a response: work harder.

* * *

**Not very happy with this chapter. I was in the doldrums, with no wind behind my sail. Sorry that it's so short. **

**reviews give me strength. i don't ever want to post such a rambling, short, boring chapter again.**

*********UPDATE*** I've opened a poll. Vote on Rock Lee's romantic pairing! pls**


	7. Stir-Fry

Update! Today's chapter was longer, and I was more satisfied with it. Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, so please don't sue me.**

* * *

Neji applied just enough chakra to his fingertips to push him up and into a fighting stance.

Whatever this thing was, the sharp fangs that protruded out of its mouth gave it a menacing look as it slowly inched forward.

Neji afforded himself a quick glance at his teammates. Out like lights. Tenten had only gotten to sleep a few minutes before, and maybe a scuffle would wake her. Gai-sensei, however… was less than reliable when he was sleeping.

Neji looked back at his opponent, who had advanced and was now much closer.

"Who are you?"

No answer.

"What are you?"

"Why, Neji-kun. I'm you!" The creature snarled, and lunged on powerful legs at Neji.

The Byakugan wielder twisted to the right, just barely avoiding the animal (?). It seemed even more beastlike now, as it had leapt clean over him and landed on all fours.

Neji's speed and reaction time had increased from all the sparring with Lee. Immediately after dodging the beast, he kicked off the ground with a lunge of his own. He coated his fist with chakra, and drove it into the creature's exposed back.

He missed. His eyes had… deceived him? He could have sworn that his fist connected, but he didn't feel the nerves in his hand register anything. The opponent certainly seemed unfazed, and reeled around to bite Neji.

Neji shouted: "eight triagrams, sixty-four palms: rotation!" and disappeared within a sphere of spinning blue.

But the beast stepped _into_ the chakra sphere. Neji immediately deactivated the jutsu, shocked out of his mind.

Nobody could penetrate the Hyuga ultimate defense. Nobody could, regardless of their endurance or strength. This creature, however, had walked into it in the same relaxed manner that it had walked out of the forest.

Neji frantically tried to hit it with his knee. No dice, missed again. Neji attacked with his specialized chakra 'pokes,' trying to connect at least once. Nothing.

The beast had dodged everything, just like he had dodged Neji's line of sight. It was either inconceivably fast, Neji concluded, or…

An experiment. Some of history's strongest jutsu had been created in the head of battle, Neji recalled. It was something that Gai-sensei had told them, part of a half-forgotten lesson on using momentum.

While Neji wasn't looking to make any new jutsu, the principle could easily apply to this type of situation.

Neji flipped backwards a few times, gaining some distance from the beast. The thing seemed shocked at Neji's change in tactics. He had shifted to a defensive stance.

The beast ran at Neji again, but he was ready. He counted down from three, anticipating the lunging attack.

When it inevitably came, Neji closed his eyes and stopped moving. It passed right through him like a ghost or an illusion.

"Genjutsu." He said, smiling. It was all illusion. Neji reached into his Kunai holder, and fished for something that he knew would be near the bottom.

He pulled his hand out to reveal a small packet, and tore it open. Neji carefully poured the contents into his palm, doing his best to shield it from the breeze.

The members of Team Gai had been gifted small packets of curry powder. Rock Lee had given this gift to commemorate the second anniversary of Team Gai's first mission.

Neji had scorned the gift at first, but now he welcomed it. One whiff was enough to set his senses straight, and to return the flow of chakra in his brain to normal.

The genjutsu was dispelled, and the caster was nowhere in sight.

* * *

Maito Gai woke at the break of dawn, and rolled over to begin his morning workout. He let his eyes wander around the campsite, keeping an eye on his students.

Tenten, surprisingly, was already awake and frying up some kind of… plant? It didn't matter. Food couldn't be unpleasant.

Neji was leaning against the same tree from the previous night, sleeping.

Near him, however, was a sight that made the taijutsu teacher frown. The ground had been scarred, tearing the grass out and leaving only dirt.

Scarring was a common sight in the present, war-torn world. A jutsu missed, and nature took the blow. A month later, the scar had healed and grass had grown again. The scarring didn't bother Gai, it's shape did.

It was spherical.

"Neji." Gai said the name softly, worried, as always, for the safety of his students.

Tenten picked her head up at this. "Is something the matter, Gai-sensei?"

"It's nothing, Tenten. What're you cooking on this youthful morning?" he smiled up at his student, trying to keep track of his push-ups while conversing. '…eighty-four, eighty-five, eighty six…'

"It's a stir fry, made with only local grown plants! Cool, huh?"

Gai grinned at Tenten's youthfulness. It wasn't often she was _this_ upbeat, and very rare that she was awake before him.

He finished his first round of push-ups, and pushed himself up one more time, but this time hard enough to make him stand upright.

Jumping jacks were next on the agenda. They didn't strain the abdominals so much, and allowed for more speech.

"I didn't realize you could cook, Tenten." Gai said.

"It's never too late to learn, is it?" Tenten smiled warmly. "And who better to practice on than you and Neji?"

Gai cocked an inquisitive eyebrow.

Tenten explained: "Well, you don't seem to know _how_ to dislike food. And Neji's pretty impassive, he won't complain unless it's absolutely terrible."

Gai just laughed. "I'm sure the food will be most youthful!"

"I hope so, sensei."

* * *

It was a recipe that Sakura had lent her.

It was no secret that Sakura- as well as quite a number of other girls- had taken a fancy to Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura, however, had an advantage over Ino, or any of Sasuke's other fan girls. Sakura was on his team.

She had taken no small effort to impress him.

Among other things, she had learned to cook fairly simple meals. She was no Ichiraku, but her meals didn't taste half bad.

At a ladies' night a little while back, Sakura had offered over a recipe that could come in handy out there in the field, if food supplies ever ran low. It wasn't exactly a seafood platter, but it wasn't centipede, either.

"Food," Sakura had claimed, "Is the key to a man's heart."

Tenten frowned to herself, watching Gai do pull-ups with a tree. Who was she trying to impress?

Tenten brushed aside the obvious answer, not ready to admit anything to anyone. She smiled at what had transpired next.

Ino, who had snuck up on Sakura, reached under the pink-haired girl's underarms.

"These" she cupped Sakura's breasts through her shirt, "are the key to a man's heart."

Needless to say, Sakura hadn't been pleased with her rival.

For a moment, Tenten considered the merit of Ino's words. Her eyes subconsciously drifted down to her own bust. They weren't huge, but…

"What are you doing, Tenten?"

"Hmm?" Tenten looked up, to see that Neji had awoke and was looking at her with his piercing eyes. She looked back down, to see that her hand had been undoing the top drawstring of her uniform.

"H-huh!? Oh, nothing! Nothing at all!" Nothing!" Making breakfast!"

She couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw Neji's stoic face twist into a smirk.

* * *

Neji was glad that he hadn't woken to a wolf-man inches from his face. He was very glad about that, but the alternative was just as shocking. Seeing his teammate blushing and nearly groping herself was _strange_.

But then, this was team Gai. Strange was commonplace.

He glanced over at the embodiment of strange. Maito Gai was using chakra to keep his hands pasted on the side of a tree, but using his muscles to make his body curl upwards like a lobster tail.

_Strange._

Gai flipped off of the tree acrobatically, and landed on his feet with feline grace. He turned, stretching out his muscles to cool down, and began to walk back to what was left of the campsite for some breakfast.

From where Neji sat, he could see Gai tense, confused. "What… what are you!?" He demanded.

Neji froze. He recognized those words. They were his own. He shot up, knowing that whatever happened next, it wouldn't be good.

Tenten glanced up at her teacher, confusion palpable in her expression. Before she could blink, let alone respond, Gai had disappeared in a blur.

Neji never made it to Tenten's side. Gai was too quick.

Another blur indicated that the taijutsu master was decelerating, and a fraction of a second later, Tenten flew through the air.

"T-Tenten?" before the girl could hit the ground, Gai caught her. The teacher was a flurry of apologies and excuses.

Nearby, the ANBU-style sword that Tenten had been using as a makeshift spatula clattered to the ground.

* * *

**Well, there's a twist. Gai attacked Tenten? Geez, who's conducting this crazy train, anyway?**

**Oh, right... Me. **

**[stringsmcgee- Thanks for the review! I really appreciate getting feedback. **

**Unfortunately, at this point no pairing is set in stone; Lee could fall into almost any female's capable arms. I only care that he's happy, within the confines of my little fanfic universe. With that said, a poll is now open: vote to hook lee up with Sakura!]**

**Seriously, guys, vote my poll. PM me if you choice isn't listed, and I'll list it. This story is still brand new, and at this stage, Lee could end up with anyone.**

**I'm going for a nap now. Maybe I'll wake up to a steaming hot plate of review, cooked with love by fanfiction-chan? Mai waifu is a website **


	8. Dress

Update lol.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or it's characters. All I own is my plot.**

* * *

"T-this one's still a l-little too tight, Ino."

The blonde couldn't help scowling briefly. She'd gone through half a dozen dresses, and she still hadn't found one that would complement Hinata's body.

Hinata sighed; this was just as taxing for her, and she couldn't really be blamed for being so genetically blessed. Being slightly top-heavy ran in the family. Hanabi, at age seven, was already beginning to bud.

Such was the weight of being a Hyuga.

It was nice to share the load of being an heiress with a friend or two, and Ino was always willing to go dress shopping in a pinch.

Hinata imagined that Ino enjoyed being the first called for fashion advice, at least among the Konoha nine.

Today, however, her blonde friend seemed a little distant. That wasn't unusual; Ino always had some news on her mind.

Hinata couldn't seem to pry it out of Ino, who was usually a fountain of free information.

Somewhere between the fourth and fifth dress, Ino had casually asked: "What do you think of Rock Lee, Hinata?"

Hinata looked at her friend, puzzled. "Lee-san?"

"Nevermind." Ino shook her head, as if chiding herself.

Hinata knew that her friend didn't want it left at that. "Rock Lee is d-definitely a g-good person. H-he's determined, honest, and… c-c-cute."

Ino's head snapped up so fast, her ponytail almost flipped over her head and slapped her nose.

The blonde tried to play it down, but Hinata saw her shock and smiled ironically. Hinata was allowed to look at more guys than just Naruto, wasn't she?

Hinata loved Naruto, but she knew better than to believe that following him around and blushing was going to bring her more than disappointment.

Since he had gone on with Jiraiya-sama, Hinata had learned that there were more boys out there than just ramen-loving blondes.

Lee… was Neji's friend. He was the one who would bowl her over, catch her, apologize and leave her to listen to him challenge her cousin, before she could blink.

All the same, Hinata didn't mind having Lee around. He was always full of compliments, and usually went out of his way to deliver them.

Besides, whether he came over to the Hyuga mansion to train with Neji, or to try to defeat her cousin, Hinata got to peek at Lee's rippling muscles underneath that god-awful green fabric.

The dark haired girl sighed. Why had Ino asked? Wasn't lee… rather unpopular, especially with the fairer sex?

Hinata shrugged it off, and took another dress from her friend.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Sakura stepped out of the hospital after a long shift. All that lay ahead of her was the brief walk home, and then relaxation. Maybe, Sakura drooled, a bubblebath.

She hadn't gotten far from the hospital in her semi-distracted state when she was pulled into an alleyway. A strong hand clamped over her mouth pulling her face upwards, and a kitchen knife was held to her now-exposed throat.

"You' gonna be a good little girl, right?" hot, stinking breath poured over the back of her neck, and it's condensation made her skin feel clammy.

The knife travelled lower, and the assailant slid the side of the blade over her collarbones, down towards her chest.

The pink-haired girl strained her eyes, trying to see the main street. The hospital wasn't very far away, and there had been nightly ANBU patrols since Orochimaru's attack.

When it seemed that nobody was coming to save her, Sakura decided to save herself.

Sakura was anything but an easy target, and was confident she could take on this scumbag. She drove her heel into her attacker's shoe, simultaneously reaching up to grasp his wrists.

She kneaded chakra into her muscles, and shook the knife out of his grip before he could attack. She yanked his other arm, the one that had had her muffled, and flipped him over her shoulder.

She got a good look at her assailant. He was essentially a walking pile of grease, the kind of person that people avoided. She didn't expect him to be anything different. A villager forgetting that kunoichi could kick ass.

This would-be rapist was _almost_ the common criminal. What separated him from the rest, was the fact that he rolled back onto his feet sloppily after being downed by Sakura, and went straight back at her.

Huh? Why was this man so determined? Sakura knew she was desirable, but this…?

He must have a failsafe. Something to lean back on, despite being much weaker than… Sakura's thoughts were interrupted in a flash, and before she knew what was happening, she was suspended from a balcony railing. A rope of some sort had looped around her ankle.

The attacker's face didn't register any surprise. In fact, he was absolutely expressionless.

Farther down the alleyway, a male figure appeared from behind a dumpster, dressed in standard ANBU gear, and wearing a beaver mask.

The villager took off in a dead sprint, trying futilely to get away from the beaver-faced avenger.

The ANBU chased the man off, but then circled back and looked up at Sakura, who was still hanging. As soon as their eyes met, even just though the slit in the porcelain mask, Sakura could tell that this man was no hero.

His next action proved her point. He leapt up to the balcony she was attached to, and cut the rope. Before the pink-haired kunoichi could fall on her head, however, the older shinobi lept off, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He adjusted her fall so she wouldn't be seriously hurt, but let her go down all the same. Her rump hit the pavement with a thud.

Sakura looked up with fear at her _new_ rapist. She was confident that she could defeat Genin and most Chunin, but an ANBU? She had no chance. Her situation was especially dire, seeing as this particular ninja had already seen her taijutsu and super-strength; he wouldn't fall for the same trick.

It dawned on Sakura that the two rapists were probably working together. One took a couple of hits, but forced the female to lay her cards on the table. The other, more powerful partner finished the job of restraining the victim, and then the two had a sexual field-day.

Sakura gulped audibly, nervous even as the villain undid his belt buckle. She closed her eyes and braced herself for some mental scarring.

The ANBU laughed. "Practicing your swallowing already? You must really wan-

He never got to finish his sentence. The sound of porcelain shattering interrupted his words. The sound of punches being thrown and of cheekbones snapping came next, followed by another, more metallic crash, as garbage cans were overturned by the ANBU's limp body.

The conductor of this orchestra of pain was none other than Rock Lee.

The boy returned to help Sakura up. "What even was that!?" she exclaimed. You just took down an _ANBU!"_

"He crumpled like paper. Totally unyouthful! He was most likely just a villager who'd bought ANBU gear on some kind of underground market, Sakura-chan."

Sakura understood now. Villagers looking to get their rocks off. "Lee… you should be in the hospital."

The boy just smiled and blushed, embarrassed by the fact that he was still dressed in his hospital gown. "I saw that goon pull you into the alley, and watched the other guy set a trap from the rooftop. It was most unyouthful. I hope you're okay, now."

Sakura told Lee that she was, and did her best to hide her shaking hands. The pair walked out of the alley together, heading back for the hospital.

The pink-haired girl promised not to tattle on Lee for escaping, for obvious reasons.

She even promised to help him sneak back in the ol' fashioned way; through the front door.

* * *

When Sakura was half-way through repeating the infiltration plan to a happy Lee, the pair bumped into Ino and Hinata, who were on their way back from dress shopping.

"Hey you two…!" Ino spoke first. "Hot date?"

This was simply to push Sakura's buttons, like only Ino knew how. Lee was an interesting sight to see, in his hospital linens, and Sakura's uniform was a little tattered and dusty.

"Something like that…" Sakura replied, refusing to take Ino's bait. "What about you two? What're you girls up to this late at night?" she asked, eyeing the large bags.

"Ino-san was h-helping me choose out a d-d-dress to wear to an upcoming c-clan meeting." Hinata spoke, eyeing Lee take a few steps backwards to let the ladies have their conversation.

Sakura smiled sweetly. "I can't wait to see what you two chose."

Sakura would also be going to the meeting; the Haruno clan was invited despite being rather small. She already had an outfit chosen out, something formal enough, but that she'd worn before.

Ino nodded: "That new tailor on the corner really knows what he's doing." The Yamanaka clan was also to attend.

Sakura nodded politely; she hadn't yet seen any of his work. She turned around, noting Lee's absence, just to see him shimmying up a drainpipe towards his window. So much for the direct approach.

"D-do you both h-have d-d-dates?" Hinata squirmed in slight embarrassment at the mention of males.

"Nope." Sakura clicked her tongue, watching Lee slide through his window. The boy waved out once he was in, reassuring Sakura that he had made the journey safely.

She was torn from her thoughts when Ino dropped a bombshell:

"I plan to take Lee."

* * *

**Okay guys. In this chapter, Sakura was nearly raped. That's pretty dark stuff, so I tried to counter-balance with some fluffy Ino-Hina-Saku friendship. From here on out, I'll try to keep everything fairly centered, because nobody likes ****_too _****much angst.**

**Also; Hinata was painful to write. M-my h-h-hyphen key n-nearly w-w-wore off, and so when I tried to write from her perspective, I had to keep her in her own head, for the most part, rather than forcing dialogue. That's not toooo out of character, is it? Hinata never struck me as the talkative type...**

**She was a little pervy. **

**If you had the byakugan, you would be too. **

**[aserora- Hey hey! Thanks for the review! It's always nice to see a lengthy, well-thought-out review in my inbox, and now that you've overcome your shyness with the power of youth, maybe I can get one for every chapter. ;)**

**TentenxLee seems like it would be really fun to write, but I'm leaving it up to the voters (so far, Tenten has the only vote, which I presume is yours).**

**I do have to argue with you a little here, though. You ****can****tell me what to do with this story. I don't preplan these chapters at all, and I don't have a clue as to what might happen a chapter or three down the line. So, I'm more than inclined to insert ****_any_**** good ideas I get from you, the readers!**

**Anyway, I hope that my future updates don't disappoint you. Cheers!]**


	9. Cliffs

Wow, guys. The last chapter got three reviews, and blasted this story past the 500 view mark. You people are the greatest.

Also, updaaaaate!

* * *

Tenten spent the greater part of the morning nursing her bruised stomach. Gai had offered to carry her, but Tenten was too proud for that. She wouldn't allow herself to be weak.

So, she hopped along from branch to branch, doing her best to keep up with her teammates, who were going slower to accommodate her; though they would never admit to doing so.

Gai had apologized… too much. Between his tearful declarations that he would never do anything so unyouthful again, Tenten and Neji had gleaned enough information; Gai saw something where Tenten should have been, and thought the worst.

Apparently, it had been some kind of animal-man creature.

Freaky.

It seemed to have had two legs, Gai said, and a human figure up to its shoulders. The legs were short, hooved, and had the thick thighs of a pig.

Its torso was human-like, but the shoulders were hunched forward to support its entirely pig-like head.

Freaky.

Neji had confessed that he had 'fought' with a similar creature the previous night, and Gai nodded thoughtfully.

"I thought that the scarring was a result of your rotation jutsu." He indicated to where Neji had used the attack.

"Yes. The curious thing was that the creature, which was part wolf, walked into my jutsu. I later discovered that it was simply genjutsu."

"A genjutsu that cloaked Tenten's chakra signature? I should have sensed her youthful presence, even if I only saw pig-san."

Tenten had given her teacher an odd look. Pig-san?

Tenten sighed; exasperated with the memory of what had been a long morning. Oh well, she reconciled. Gai-sensei had only meant well, trying to protect her, and at least the stir fry had been good.

Well… it was okay.

She padded across mossy branches, following behind Neji. They had agreed that the team should stay more compact.

The brunette had to concentrate to keep her mind on the mission.

Tenten was angry. Some animal thing tried to impersonate her, and it _had_ to choose a pig!? She wasn't pig-like, was she?

Lee wouldn't have thought so. Tenten allowed her mind to drift slightly, memories of Lee's over-zealous and sometimes misplaced compliments wafting through her mind.

He would complement her on her outfit; the same one she had worn just a week before. He would complement her on her work ethic, even when she was ready to give up. Something about his words, which would have been ironic had they passed through less honest lips, was refreshing.

Lee's lips.

Swoon.

Tenten shook herself. She shouldn't be thinking about Lee like that, especially while on a mission, and definitely with some kind of threat hidden out there in the forest.

But she did.

The group neared the tiny village around noon. A cliff overlooked the village, which itself was perched on another cliff.

These twin cliffs towered over a picturesque little valley, complete with a lazily trickling river, and the stout trees that the Fire Country was famous for.

The village looked small; a fraction of the size of Konoha and truly only a collection of small wooden buildings. It was a shame; with such a beautiful location, that nobody seemed to know about this place.

Gai decided that it might be best if they scouted the village out a little, but- in his usual youthful fashion, volunteered himself as the spy. An individual, he had stated, was less obvious than a group of ninja.

A little sneaking around was necessary where this kind of mission was concerned. With Sound Ninja around, one could never be too sure which requests were genuine, and which were simply bait for an ambush.

Neji and Tenten were fairly glad to be able to take a break; it was hard to keep up with their sensei's stamina (Gai would refer to it as the full power of youth) sometimes.

Before he left, Gai had said that it might be a few hours before he returned, and he expected them to train if he was gone longer than it took the two Genin to set up camp.

Tenten blanched slightly at the mention of training, and the look wasn't lost on either teammate.

Neji watched as Tenten discreetly put pressure on her stomach, testing to see if it had bruised without making a show of it. She was never one to flaunt injuries, and tried her best to hide them. When she was hurt during a mission, sometimes it would be a week before anybody knew. She simply refused to be a drag on the team.

"Tenten. You're hurt. Let me see."

Neji was by no means a medical ninja, but he knew better than to try to push yourself too hard when injured.

Tenten refused: "Yeah, you'd like to see my stomach, you pervert."

Neji didn't flinch; he knew that Tenten respected him more than that, because he knew how much he respected her. She was trying to protect her dignity by embarrassing him, but it wouldn't work.

"I'm not asking."

She begrudgingly lifted the hem of her shirt, slowly. Neji gazed forward, stoic as always, as the fabric rose above her toned, sinewy stomach.

She exposed her tummy, right up to just beneath her ribcage. It was… rather sexy, with limber looking muscles under soft, pale skin. Neji didn't comment, his eyes were fixed on her bruise.

A large patch of her stomach was turning a disgusting shade of purple, bordered by a puss-like yellow… Gai had a hell of a punch. Tenten, with closed eyes, asked how bad it looked.

Neji gulped, and told her that it wasn't too bad. Tenten opened her eyes, and Neji could tell by her expression that she saw the worry in his.

She glanced down and gasped slightly, but then chuckled good-naturedly.

"I've always been proud of my stomach, and this is no cause to lose face. All this proves is that I'm a worthy ninja!" She smiled.

Neji nodded, with a faint smile of his own. The girl could take a hit.

Tenten wondered aloud whether Lee would say anything about it, and that made Neji scowl ever so slightly. He felt… heavy, all the sudden.

So this, he mused, was what it felt like to have a rival.

Maito Gai didn't exactly look like the kind of tourist that might stop by the tiny village. He was beginning to get weird looks.

Of course, most might have said that it was _Gai_ who looked weird. He stuck out like a sore, ultra-youthful thumb, wearing a floral print shirt that was unbuttoned to reveal spandex. He was also wearing khaki shorts above his green suit, but had taken off the legwarmers to accommodate sandals (without socks, thank god).

The outfit was topped off with a wide brimmed safari hat, and sunglasses.

He was getting looks, alright.

Unfortunately, Gai had chosen to change only once he was closer to the town, and missed out on Neji and Tenten's critical advice. Gai's protégé and endless stream of confidence had stayed back in Konoha, so the taijutsu Jounin had to wing it, and use his own fashion sense here.

Gai shrugged it off. He had a mission, which would be accomplished one way or another. He wouldn't allow himself to suffer under the emotional weight that came with failing a mission. Gai was confident that he could beat down whatever threat there was, regardless of any outside circumstances.

Gai stepped into a small restaurant, and pulled up a stool. The smell of meat sizzling on a grill somewhere in the back made his stomach growl.

A young lady pulled up to the service counter, and asked for Gai's order. He didn't take much; an oversized meal could be telling.

He tucked into his meal slowly, savouring each bite and resisting the urge to wolf down the food. Taijutsu burnt a significant amount of calories, and Gai had a heck of a metabolism. Of course, he couldn't let this show among strangers.

He had been in town for only a few minutes, but hadn't seen anything that would indicate that these villagers were living in fear.

Gai took a glance around the little restaurant. People were chatting, eating…

Nothing about this village seemed out of order at all. Gai finished his meal, paid, and left to wander the narrow streets.

The afternoon came and went. A few villagers were bored enough to say hello, and fewer still wanted to pursue conversation with this strangely dressed foreigner.

Gai didn't mind. He just wanted to watch people.

As the afternoon ticked by, a sort of restlessness washed over the villagers. They were expecting something.

Evening came, and people began to retreat into their houses. There was no hotel to be found in this village, and Gai was ready to retreat back to his students, when a passing comment stopped him in his tracks.

"Jus' about time for the fackin' animals to show up, ainnit?"

Gai's eyes snapped to the young man who'd said it. Did the beasts only appear at a certain time? The teen had an honest look in his eyes; just about everyone here did.

The taijutsu master made his decision then and there. He would lead his team of Genin to liberate this village, and lead them out in safety if it _was_ an elaborate trap.

He would return at dusk with his students.

* * *

**Hahaha. Anyone want to draw Gai in his spy outfit?**

**A little bit of NejixTen fluff in this chapter? Well, that's interesting.**

**The poll is leaning pretty strongly towards TentenxLee at the moment, but that may be because we haven't gotten many votes. Vote vote vote!**

**[kokabiel- Thanks! I'm doing my best to build up the characters as much as possible, while keeping them in character. TentenxLee looks pretty plausible at this point, depending on how things develop back in Konoha. **

**Anyway, thanks for the review!]**

**[Raistlin99- We're voting, alright! I've posted the poll on my profile. **

**I love Ino as a character, actually, and I think that she compliments Lee more than people give her credit for. It iiiis a bit of a crack pairing, but that's totally okay.**

**Lovin' the cheerleader comparison. Totes. But if we're looking to reward Lee for being awesome, why not just let him end up with everybody (LeexHarem)?**

**Things to consider... ;D**

**Thanks for reviewing!]**

**[MrLucyLu- Wow, what a set of ideas. If your ideas were a woman, she'd be a perfect 10, and would definitely end up in love with Rock Lee. I absolutely love it.**

**But I agree, it's about time Konoha's ladies saw past Lee's... uniqueness. :P**

**Thanks for the review, it was really inspiring and gave me goosebumps.]**

**Until next time, guiz. **


	10. Uniforms

Hello, all. Here is update. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

Lee was finally finished.

Sakura watched him, swelling with pride. He had completed his rehab course in record speed, even going so far as to do some of the exercises multiple times more than necessary. When every task had been completed, Lee had looked up at Sakura with expectant eyes.

"Sakura-chan…? What am I to do now?"

"Uh… do some squats?" she improvised. Doing some light squatting had been included in the rehab process, so it couldn't hurt to do more.

Lee stated that his weights were in his room, and that he'd like to go pick them up before starting his squats.

Sakura acquiesced, knowing that he wouldn't be at his best unless he was pushing himself to his absolute limit.

The month-long rehabilitation course had been condensed by Tsunade, once she understood Lee's desperation to recover within a week. Lee, however, was nothing if not unpredictable, and he pushed himself hard enough to complete it in two days.

The two Genin walked up a flight of stairs to Lee's hospital room. Lee's legs really were getting better, and he could walk short distances without much pain.

Still, something was limiting him from recovery. Sakura had seen somewhat similar trends with patients who were in with depression or post-traumatic stress. They simply wouldn't recover if they had some type of mental blockade, caused by some sort of trauma.

Lee didn't show any of the other symptoms of having a mental block, and even if he had one, Sakura doubted that it would limit his healing to this extent.

Something else… Who knew? Tsunade had been in to look for shrapnel, anything embedded in the leg that might prevent his wounds from sealing. There was none.

Sealing… Could there be a sealing jutsu preventing Lee from healing!? While the body had its own system of recovery, a ninja's chakra increased healing speeds. Naruto was a prime example of that; his wounds would fade within hours, no matter how severe.

Lee had chakra, but he couldn't knead it, couldn't manipulate it to preform jutsu or apply any to his fists the way Sakura did.

Thankfully, it didn't take any amount of Chakra control to increase healing time; it worked on its own.

This led to Sakura's next hypothesis. If Lee was sealed, what exactly did the seal do? Did it halt the natural flow of chakra? Did it shut off the chakra pathways? Or… did it remove chakra entirely?

Sakura shuddered at the thought of Lee being limited by something other than his incapability to preform ninjutsu and genjutsu. If he had no chakra, then his taijutsu would slowly trickle down, and become worse.

The more the pink-haired girl considered it, the more likely it seemed. Why hadn't Tsunade, arguably the greatest mind where medical ninjutsu was concerned, thought of it?

Sakura blushed as she watched Lee pull the weights from under his hospital bed.

Maybe Tsunade just didn't feel for Lee the way she did…

* * *

Sakura was startled when a sharp knocking came from the door behind her. Lee was obviously startled too, because he banged his head on the bottom of the bedframe.

The pink-haired girl swivelled around and peered through the small glass pane in the door to see ocean-blue eyes.

Ino.

Sakura let the blonde in, almost begrudgingly. The two females exchanged both glances and greetings.

When Ino had declared that she would bring Lee along to the clan gala, Sakura had stayed silent, as had Hinata.

Before too long, the ladies had split for the night. Things were just a little too awkward; both Sakura and Hinata knew that they had been thinking of Lee more than they would admit to.

Ino had apparently been thinking of Lee as well; and she had the cojones to admit it.

Lee had pulled himself out from under her bed, weights forgotten for now. "Hello, Ino-san!" he smiled up at the girl from where he sat.

"Lee. How are your poor legs?"

Her voice was low, seductive, and predatory. Lee hadn't yet noticed, but Sakura most certainly did.

"They're getting better, thanks to all of Sakura-chan's efforts."

The pink-haired kunoichi felt the tips of her ears heat up. "That's not true, Lee. You really did help yourself."

Lee just smiled at Sakura, and then back at Ino, who had approached and was now bent slightly to examine Lee's legs.

His upper thighs were burn free, and that's all that Ino cared.

"Lee, I want to ask you something." She pushed his knees together, and straddled his lap.

Lee's gaze switched frantically from Ino's half-lidded eyes, to Sakura's bemused ones. "W-wh-what is it, Ino-cha—I mean Ino-san?"

Sakura decided she had had enough, watching Lee blush crimson. She wasn't going to let Ino win.

The pink-haired girl knew that she didn't have to be so brazen to get Lee's attention. She simply sat down next to him on the bed, leaned into him, and began to caress his back. Lee's already red face became a few shades darker.

The blonde raked ten carefully manicured fingernails down Lee's hospital gown, feeling the hard muscle underneath the fabric. She leaned in until her lips hovered inches from Lee's ear, and felt him shiver when he felt her breath.

It was at that moment that Tsunade burst through the door, interrupting Ino before she could ask Lee anything.

"I've found the problem!" the Hokage exclaimed, excited at overcoming such a tough case. In her joy, she hadn't quite registered the goings-on in the room, but soon realised that her patient was being molested.

Tsunade smirked as the teens pulled away from each other. "Maybe Lee doesn't want to be fixed. It seems he's getting more attention this way."

"N-no! I want to b-b-be healed!" Lee declared, still flustered and speaking like Hinata might. The two bombshells clinging to him were equally embarrassed to be caught like this… and with Lee!

Ino recovered first, always one to keep face. She swiveled on Lee's lap, coming to face the Hokage.

"What've you discovered, Hokage-sama? We had better get Lee back on his feet quickly, or he won't be able to take me to the Clan Gala." Ino was being bolder than usual; asking Lee out through such a powerful proxy.

Lee began to blabber incomprehensibly, mostly about youth, overcome with emotions. "…youthful Ino-san wants me to youthful youthful youthfully take her to the youthful dance youthful…"

Sakura asked her master the same question. "What's wrong with Lee?"

"He's not used to being surrounded by three pretty girls."

Tsunade wouldn't miss any opportunity to tease her student, and compliment herself at the same time.

Her face grew serious after a brief laugh. "Lee-san is most likely being affected by some sort of seal. It took me long enough to realise it, but he _is_ healing normally. Normally… for a villager. Ninja are the abnormal ones.

Sakura glowed with pride. She had come to the same conclusion. The teacher and student left the room to discuss their options in private, away from sensitive ears.

Sakura whispered some sort of death threat in Ino's ears, and she left as well… though not before blowing a kiss to Lee.

A moment later, Tsunade poked her head into the room: "Lee, try to find a strange mark on your skin somewhere."

The taijutsu specialist nodded.

* * *

"When did you come back, Tenten?" Lee was bewildered. He had been doing the prescribed squats, and had turned to gather heavier weights to put on his bar, when he spotted her in the doorway.

She wasn't wearing her standard uniform. It had been replaced by… some sort of… belly-dancing outfit? It looked like it belonged closer to Sunakagure than Konoha.

"I came back for youuuu, Lee-chan." Tenten said, dragging out the 'you' much longer than necessary.

"Tenten? Tenten!?" Lee wavered as the girl began approaching with hunger in her eyes. He just barely escaped a pair of fuzzy handcuffs, and took off as fast as he could…

His legs were healed!?

Nothing to complain about, Lee shrugged.

Despite Lee's near-inhuman speeds, he wasn't fast enough to outrun Sakura and Ino, who were chasing him down… dressed in the same skimpy belly-dancer threads as his teammate.

Lee dove into a bush, and waited until the girls had passed before taking off in the opposite direction. The coast was clear… but then Lee spotted Tenten from the corner of his eye, and took off in a dead sprint.

Hinata was standing in the middle of the street, dressed in an apron. Lee sighed in relief—no belly dancing outfit.

"Lee-san! I was hoping to see a familiar face!"

No stutter. That was alarming.

"I just baked a cake, and I was hoping…" Hinata leaned forward with outstretched hands "…that you'd lick the icing off my fingers."

The dark-haired girl tore her apron off to reveal… a belly-dancing outfit.

Lee groaned. This was too much.

He groaned again and again as a familiar voice wafted through the air, not quite articulated properly.

"Lee. Wake up, Lee. Lee!"

* * *

The boy shot up to see Tsunade and Sakura standing over him, dressed in their regular uniforms. They quickly informed him that he had been knocked out; a weight had hit him when he tried to retrieve it from the top shelf.

Oh. It was all a dream.

Lee laughed at his own foolishness, but then remembered something. "Oh! Sakura-chan! Hokage-sama! I found that marking that you were talking about!"

Both medi-nin eyed him, and Tsunade asked him to continue.

"It's on top of my head! I couldn't see it through all my hair." Lee smiled; it was a strategic place to set a seal.

His smile faded when he saw the look of horror that the two ladies shared.

"D-did you say… atop your head?" Tsunade asked, and Lee nodded.

"Lee…" Sakura had to break it to the boy gently. "The standard procedure for removing seals…" "The only thing we can do…" after a series of false starts, the pink-haired girl decided to be blunt.

"Lee, you're going to have to… shave your head."

* * *

**Too much comedy in this chapter, amirite? Oh well. **

**Review please!**

**[Raistlin99- I agree with you. Lee wouldn't know what to do with a harem, and I say that with love. Hypothetically speaking, though, what makes Ino the ultimate reward for a guy like Lee? **

**Just playing devil's advocate! You know I luv ya.]**

**Keep voting, everybody! :)**

**AAAAALSO! Who's read Naruto 631!? It's fuckign aweseom. I won't spoil it, but I honestly think it's the best chapter of the year. **


	11. Vault

Update! Barely got this one out, what a hectic day.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. This story is for fun, not for profit.**

* * *

Team Gai was ready for anything.

Gai had explained his status as a ninja to a handful of semi-surprised, semi-important villagers. It had taken a bit of knocking; everybody seemed scared to leave their houses past dusk.

The first villager to give him a chance; a kind elderly woman, informed him that there was a password that was used to indicate the threat had passed.

Before returning to his Genin for the night, Gai met with a few of the more influential villagers, who informed him that they had been invaded nightly by a handful of bears.

"Bears?" Tenten had asked with eyebrow quirked, once Gai had resettled into the little camp.

Neji had admitted that a family of bears hardly warranted the large, red, 'A' that was stamped on top of the mission document, even if this village really had no way of protecting themselves from the beasts.

The villagers had stated that the bears came from across the valley; more or less where the team of ninja had camped for the night—Gai decided that it wasn't worth trying to save the village tonight (a decision that Tenten saw as uncharacteristically rational), because it was probably better to trap the animals, rather than killing them.

Traps took time to set, as Tenten well knew.

It was unnerving, of course, knowing that an enemy lay just around the corner, but they all knew that they could take on a few bears.

A night-watch was scheduled, and Tenten received the first shift.

Nothing significant happened, but the hour-long shift passed fairly quickly. Time truly did fly when one was having fun, and Tenten couldn't get her mind off of her quirky teammate; the one with the eyebrows.

The only thing that truly set Tenten off was the half-man, half bird creature that seemed to fly around the edges of her vision. The weapons mistress reminded herself that it was only genjutsu; nothing to waste kunai over.

She shook Neji awake at the prescribed time, waking him from the light, practiced sleep that ninja employed in order to survive night-time ambushes when out on missions.

The Hyuga thanked Tenten for waking him, and bid her a good night before chakra-climbing a tree to get a better vantage point.

He could definitely see some branches rustling nearby, but so many of them moved simultaneously that he wrote it off as a breeze moving through the trees; nothing to waste chakra over.

Neji mulled over his sensei's latest pearl of wisdom, having nothing better to do.

Before Gai laid down to a decidedly _loud_ sleep, he had reminded his students that underestimating an opponent was deadly… whether man or beast. Bears are capable of killing unprepared ninja, he had declared.

Maito Gai then went off on a tale of how he had single-handedly defeated a thirty-foot bear, armed only with the power of youth.

His students took him seriously… about the underestimation thing, anyway.

Neji knew the risk of looking down on an opponent all too well; he had done so all his life, and boy, had some of those opponents had surprised him.

Neji briefly reviewed some of his previous failures.

He had underestimated Hinata's worth, and limited her with his lack of confidence. He had underestimated Naruto's ability, and was defeated during the Chunin exams.

And he had underestimated Lee. The price Neji knew he would have to pay for looking down on his friend and teammate had not yet been manifested, but the Hyuga knew that Lee's hard work would someday catch up to his genius.

Neji was sure that that day would come soon.

Neji checked the time… seven minutes past the time scheduled for the shift change. Neji cringed; it wasn't like him to get lost in thought. He leapt down to the forest floor, and shook Gai.

He shook him again.

"Gai-sensei." Neji hissed, trying not to wake Tenten.

The older man didn't stir, he only just kept snoring.

Neji drove an elbow into his teacher's ribs, hard enough to force Gai back into the land of the living.

"Dynamic Entry!" Gai shouted, roused out of a dream.

Neji put a finger to his lips, silencing the Jounin. Gai looked around himself for a moment, getting his bearings.

"It's your watch, sensei." Neji informed the teacher, while tucking his hair into his uniform to prevent it's catching the campfire.

"Of course, Neji! Sleep well! You'll need all the youth you can muster tomorrow!"

Neji yawned and laid down, thanking Gai… Wait. All the youth he could muster? Was Gai trying to imply that Neji was unyouthful?

Neji sighed; this kind of thing never got to him before. Lee's absence had affected him more than he would admit to.

The night passed, with each teammate taking two more shifts before sunlight began streaking through the trees.

When morning came, the ninja left.

There were two bridges that connected the cliffs, and therefore connected the small village with the side of the Fire Country across from it.

Of course, the gap could be circumnavigated with a bit more time and effort, as it had in times past, but the bridges were much more convenient.

When team Gai arrived in the village, its population had gathered together at town hall to meet with Gai and his students. They greeted the three ninja warmly, but with wary eyes.

Gai began by asking the basic questions; how many bears? What did the bears do? Was there anything that could have lured them in?

The villagers gave vague but satisfying answers. There were a handful of bears that would come across the bridge at night and ransack the village. Children had been mauled, exclaimed a frantic mother. A few other villagers nodded to confirm this as fact.

They had tried warding the animals off with fire, to no avail.

Gai asked why they hadn't simply blocked off the bridges at night.

Exporting crops to Konoha kept the village alive, and importing things was just as important. To shut off their access to the Village Hidden in the Leaf for twelve hours in a day would cripple them.

Gai nodded, understanding the problem. There were a score of tributary villages like this one scattered across fire country; working to sustain Konoha.

* * *

Defence plans came next.

Neji was to be poised strategically, on one of the two bridges that were stretched over the gap. Armed with his Byakugan, he could respond to any threats before they truly manifested.

Gai would guard the other bridge.

Tenten, after having set up several non-lethal traps for the beasts, was to guard the villagers, who would be gathered…

Gai paused.

"Is there anywhere where you all can stay the night, out of harm's way?" he asked.

"Our… houses?" a young lady—Gai recognised her as the waitress from the restaurant—suggested.

"Sorry, but that just won't do. _If_ there's anything unyouthful about these bears—and judging by their persistence, I think there is—They may become better fighters if they know that we're here." Gai gestured to his team.

Neji shrugged: Can't argue with that logic.

"Well, we could always sleep here, in the town hall." The mayor suggested. It would take some effort, and a lot of beds, but the biggest building in the village could fit all of its people.

"That'll never work." Gai said. "There're too many possible entrances."

The taijutsu master paused, deep in thought. He hadn't seen anything that really fit the bill. It had to be sturdy, spacious, and without many doors and windows.

"What about the Vault?" mumbled a young man who was immediately shushed.

A vault? Gai liked the sound of that. "What is this vault? It sounds super-youthful!" He exclaimed.

The villagers claimed that no such thing existed for a time, but Maito Gai was determined to know about it.

The mayor stepped forward with a dramatic sigh.

"The two bridges that connect this village to the path that leads to Konoha were built by the First Hokage." He began. "He built them there to keep this village from fading into nothingness like so many other small villages."

Gai nodded, egging the aged man on.

"The First, you see, had an interest in keeping something above the ground, to protect… the Vault." He let the word 'vault' pass through his lips with a bit of a flair. It seemed, to Neji, that this man had been waiting to tell this story for a long time.

"The vault contains a forbidden jutsu of sorts—except that it's not a jutsu. I really don't understand!" The mayor's speech ended with a whimper, not a bang.

Team Gai's interests were peaked.

"And… and you say that this vault is big enough to house everyone?" Gai asked, and the mayor nodded in affirmation.

"Excellent! Let's begin creating a temporary shelter at once! We'll go forward with the full power of youth!"

* * *

The Vault didn't look like much, at first. Behind the town hall, semi-shielded by the much larger building, lay a shack that looked like it hadn't been touched in years. It was ready to fall apart.

The only astounding feature to this shack was its thick door, which looked about as heavy as Tenten.

The mayor swung it open, to reveal a set of wide, cold, stone-chiseled steps that led down to darkness.

The mayor had asked that everybody remain in the town hall while he gave the ninja the tour, and so the four citizens of the Fire Country were going down alone.

The mayor expressed that he had forgotten to bring something to light the first torch, and Gai responded by lighting the tip of the torch with friction—a flaming karate chop.

The old man led the way into the chasm, lighting wall-mounted torches along the way.

Eventually, the foursome were met by another door, this one of solid stone. Engraved were the words 'Only the worthy sha…' but the rest had worn out with time, and were illegible.

The village leader became flustered. "I-I really don't know how to get past this point." He confessed, embarrassed.

Gai didn't mind; he smashed the barrier with a kick. Tenten smiled; her teacher never had been one for overly complicated tests of 'worth.'

When the rubble and dust cleared, Tenten peered in to see a room—lit by sunlight, despite their depth—that was huge, but nearly empty.

In the center of the room, on a stone pedestal of sorts, lay an old, dust-coated scroll.

Gai stepped towards it, and gingerly picked it up. Tenten was relieved that it didn't disintegrate, but it didn't seem like it would open without releasing a seal. It took the Taijutsu specialist a while to read the faded inscription.

His shoulders perked up, indicating that he had it figured out.

"It says… the word… 'Nine'".

* * *

**FIIIIINAAAAALLY! BACK TO THE ACTUAL TITLE OF THE FANFIC! **

**Haha. Sorry that I'm updating a little later than usual... I just wrote this chapter within the hour; I haven't been home. **

**This one was a blast to write, and I think it's one of my favorite chapters so far. What do you think, fanficfans? :)**

**[Raistlin99- I'd like to begin this response by saying thank you for your continued support and reviews. You're absolutely awesome.**

**With that said, I dislike most of the pairings you ship. However, I've never seen LeexIno explained as well as you have, and so even if this story doesn't swing that way (I am a servant to my poll-vote, everyone!) I'll definitely consider writing some of them.**

**Anyway! I hope that no matter what happens, you'll enjoy my humble fanfic. :)]**

**Reviews maek me happy. Do it because this chapter is long? **


	12. Tactics

Burpdate. Update. Burp.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

With Jiraiya gone, training Naruto, Konoha was missing its top sealing jutsu specialist.

Kakashi wasn't very far behind the Toad Sage, however. Tsunade requested that he be the one to assist Lee, and the white-haired Jounin accepted without question.

Tsunade had reserved a room in the hospital for Lee's purpose; the solitude would help Kakashi concentrate on the monumental task ahead of him.

It was always nice to help a rival out, Kakashi thought. Gai would be pleased to know that he had helped Lee out. And then, the Jounin mused, Gai would chase Sakura around town, begging to do her chores or run errands for her to pay back the favour.

Despite Gai's eccentricities, it was nice to know that the two friends and rivals would support each other, where the genin students were concerned.

Kakashi was confident that he could restore Lee to his regular, youthful self.

The white-haired ninja blinked, horrified. Had he just used the word '_youthful'_? Gai would be so pleased.

Lee had had his hair cut, and hated every minute of it. He didn't complain, but his agitation was palpable. As the locks of hair fell away, the seal became more visible.

It was complicated.

Of course it was. Nothing was ever easy, as Kakashi had come to expect when he first decided to learn sealing jutsu.

He was doing well enough learning from scrolls, and had mastered some intermediate-level seals. And then Jiraiya appeared from a long journey, wishing to test his pupil's pupil.

The Sannin had waved his latest erotic novel in front of Kakashi's face—at that time, it had been the second book in the series: 'Icha-Icha Violence'.

Kakashi remembered drooling over the book, his imagination running wild and convincing him that he could _smell_ the ink on the pages.

Jiraiya pulled the book back just as Kakashi tried to snatch it. "It's a pre-released edition, signed by the author, and…" Jiraiya paused, driving Kakashi insane. "…It's illustrated."

That was enough motivation.

Jiraiya tapped the irresistible book with his forefinger, taking something from his kunai pouch.

It was a fire tag.

Kakashi looked on with fear in his eyes as Jiraiya placed the strip of chakra-charged paper between the pages of the book.

The sharingan-wielding Jounin didn't have a chance to reveal his kekkei genkai. Jiraiya had finished a series of hand seals, preformed with only one hand.

Without the use of the sharingan, Kakashi couldn't keep up with Jiraiya's hand seals, and a puff of smoke indicated that the sealing jutsu had been completed.

Black markings covered the dark red book, and congregated more heavily near the fire tag.

The Sannin tossed the book to Kakashi. "You've got one chance. If you fail, it'll self-destruct."

Kakashi now found himself in a similar situation.

While Rock Lee didn't exactly have a fire tag strapped to his bald head, the seal did have a self-destruct mechanism.

It was a seal on top of a seal. The seal beneath the other would trigger a process that Kakashi feared would eventually drive Lee insane. He recognised the markings and chakra signature.

It was both a leech-type seal and an active one. It leeched chakra from its victim, and cast genjutsu with it.

The seal was hardwired to Lee's brain, and would project his darkest fears into the semi-real realm of genjutsu illusions.

Kakashi knew all too well how deadly genjutsu could be. Tsukuyomi, the famous and lethal Uchiha genjutsu had left him scarred for a considerable amount of time.

The lower, genjutsu inducing seal was covered by another, which looked much simpler. It was, in fact, a beginner level seal, placed almost smugly atop its deadly brother. It was what had been limiting his healing processes.

The simple seal could be removed. The trouble was trying to remove it without setting the other off…

"Kakashi-san?" Lee spoke.

"Yes, Lee?"

"I trust you."

Kakashi blushed slightly in embarrassment, and was thankful for his mask. He realised that he had been hovering over Lee's head for a while, now, just staring.

Not cool.

"Uh, well, thanks, Lee. We'll definitely have to work together on this one. It looks a_ little_ tricky." Kakashi saved face with his usual velvety charm.

"Yes, Kakashi-san!" Lee exploded. "If I fail here, I will do three hundred leg-ups!"

Kakashi grinned behind his mask. Gai was lucky to have a student with a passion that rivalled his own. The masked Jounin didn't think he could keep up with the energetic lifestyles of either taijutsu specialist.

If Kakashi failed here, he would never be able to face his best friend again.

Hours passed before Kakashi even attempted to crack the books seal.

Jiraiya had him tag along on his 'researching' session. The two white-haired ninja cut striking figures. Kakashi was devouring reading material on double-layered seals with his sharingan, and Jiraiya was devouring the view provided by several bikini-clad females playing by a creek with his binoculars.

"I think I've almost got it…!" Kakashi mumbled.

"Me too." Jiraiya drawled; his mind on matters more important than advanced jutsu.

Kakashi didn't hesitate. He formed the hand seals swiftly, and unlocked Jiraiya's seal. That was the easy part.

With speed borne of desperation, Kakashi immediately began working on his next series of hand seals. Snake; bear; dog; tiger…

Kakashi slammed his palm onto the book… and the fire tag fizzled out. It was disarmed.

The white-haired Jounin lost his composure momentarily. He cheered like a madman. He cheered like Naruto would.

Jiraiya frantically tried to stop Kakashi's outburst, knowing that there would be hell to pay if… And then a tiny fist slammed down on his head, raising a bump. Behind the Sannin stood a handful of angry looking females.

"Uh, ladies! I was just… I was just leaving!"

The two ninja made a mad dash back to the village.

Jiraiya caught his breath first, despite his advanced age. He laughed: "What a rush! I got some new material as well!"

Kakashi's ears picked up at that. A new book sometime in the future? It wasn't hard to imagine.

"Yes! I, the great Toad Sage, Jiraiya, shall begin work on my third book!" The Sannin proclaimed.

"J-Jiraiya-sama! Amazing! What will it be called!"

The toad sage put a thoughtful hand to his chin, wearing a wide smirk.

"I believe that this book will really tie together the series! It'll have to be a real thriller, something to set the mind racing! Something like… strategy, or… Tactics! Icha Icha Tactics!"

With that, Jiraiya disappeared with a puff of smoke, in search, as always, of inspiration.

Lee would have to endure the same treatment as Icha Icha Violence had. Desperation would have to fuel Kakashi's speed, and he would disarm the lethal seal with one of his own.

The masked Jounin kneaded chakra into his palms, preparing to release the jutsu.

"This may hurt a little, Lee." He warned.

Lee nodded.

Kakashi formed the hand seals needed to loosen the binding first seal, and mentally steeled himself for his next task. A feint blue glow emanated from his chakra-laced hands.

The first seal was removed, and Kakashi knew he had to move fast.

Lee began to shriek, but held onto his seat. Kakashi was halfway through the hand seals when Lee began to lash out at invisible enemies, lost in his deepest, darkest fears.

Lee's screams faded when Kakashi placed his seal on the top of his head, cancelling out the genjutsu seal.

The boy quickly caught his breath. "Th-thanks!" He said, feeling familiar power coursing through his body again.

Kakashi sighed happily. Success. The procedure was draining, unfortunately, and his chakra levels were dangerously low.

"That's alright, Lee. Anytime you need… help… with a—nything" The Jounin slurred his words, and his usually bored-looking eye slowly closed.

Lee caught the man before he could fall, and carried him out on strong arms to face the world a healed man… or, almost healed. Lee ignored his limp.

Lee was a little surprised. He didn't think that the sealing jutsu would have taken _that_ much chakra. When he stepped out of the hospital room, he peered down the hall in both directions.

A nurse… somebody that Lee didn't recognise, stood behind a stretcher cart. He walked over to see If he could drop Kakashi off, who would definitely need a good night's sleep.

The nurse didn't register Lee's presence. She didn't blink. She didn't move at all.

She simply stood there, frozen.

Freaky.

Lee wasn't going to be deterred, however. He moved on to find his hospital room, the only place he trusted to find an empty bed without knocking on doors and disturbing patients.

On his way up, he saw Ino—holding a bouquet of flowers, and highlighted by several small lotus flowers. Lee blushed.

Ino wasn't moving either. She, too, seemed frozen.

"I-Ino-san?" Lee waited a few moments, receiving no answer, before continuing to his room and laying Kakashi on the bed.

Ino walked up a flight of stairs to the second storey of the hospital building, where Lee had his room. She was carrying another order of flowers for Lee.

Suddenly, the flowers blew wildly, losing some petals. Her skirt blew up, revealing her panties.

Nobody saw, and she smoothed down her outfit quickly. Ino shivered; whatever gust of wind that had blown by the window-less staircase… seemed to have said her name.

"Ino-san."

* * *

**Hrrrrrrngh, sorry if that was a little hard to follow near the end. I tried to cliffhang dat ho. **

**WHAT IS WRONG? WHY IS EVERYONE FROZEN? AREE THEY? INO SEEMED FINE!? IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH LEE? WHATS WRONG WITH KAKASHI? ? ? **

**Your reviews are glorious! Thanks!**

**Keep voting! Vote to decide who Lee ends up with. Tenten's leading at the moment, but only by a single vote.**

**[Raistlin99- Haha, I was beginning to feel like I was writing one of the anime's filler arcs. Had to bring the story's plot back into gear. **

**I'm trying to keep my shipping preferences out of the way as I write this, because I don't want to be biased. This whole story is really just an experiment; I put some characters in some situations, I try to keep them well-characterized, and then I let the chemicals react.**

**Sooo, tl:dr, I'm a pretentious sockpuppet who won't say what pairings I ship until this story is done. **

**Thanks for the review!]**

**[Kokabiel- I don't want to make anyone feel too left out. I wrote this chapter almost entirely from Kakashi's perspective... just to kind of shake up the routine. did you like it? **

**The short answer is yes. The seal does relate to the ninth gate somehow... I'm just not sure how, yet.**

**I'm glad you like the updates! I'll try to keep them coming quickly.]**

**Cheers, everyone! **


	13. Messenger

Update? Yes. As of right now, I've got 999 views. Wow. You guys amaze me.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. I'm writing for entertainment purposes only.**

* * *

Hatake Kakashi stepped into the Hokage's office. His reason for visiting wasn't quite as urgent as it had been a month and a half ago, when he had reported that Gai would be in a rush to find the wounded Rock Lee.

His purpose hardly warranted manipulating the fabric of time and space in order to teleport to Tsunade's office.

Kakashi wouldn't teleport in, but he _would_ be talking to the Hokage about teleportation.

Somehow, Kakashi had teleported without using his mangekyo sharingan. One moment he had been having a conversation with Rock Lee, and then next he was in a hospital bed.

Lee was another enigma. Where had he gone? He had disappeared mid-conversation. Was it possible…? Could Lee have somehow… executed a teleportation jutsu similar to Kakashi's own?

And if so, where did Lee teleport _to?_

Lee couldn't _do_ jutsu. He couldn't control his chakra.

Kakashi sighed.

He reprimanded himself for underestimating the taijutsu specialist. Lee had surprised him time and time again; the young ninja was able to open five of the chakra gates; two more than Kakashi could.

The Hokage's office was as busy as usual. The village had received word that Sound Ninja were ambushing villagers somewhere between Sunakagure and Konoha, and several volunteers were stationed on lower levels of the office to filter out any hyperbole before the complaints received Tsunade's ears.

When it was time for the Hokage to put together a team to chase away this problem, she needed to know whether there were three, or thirty enemy ninja.

Misinformation killed.

Kakashi smiled. He had firsthand knowledge of what a misleading mission ranking could lead to. He had, of course, led a team of rookie genin into battle against Momochi Zabuza. On paper, the mission was classified as a simple 'C' rank escort mission. Reality could differ from statistics.

Perhaps Lee had some hidden potential for ninjutsu after all? Even if his file didn't say so, it wasn't too far-fetched.

Shizune was playing with Tonton, letting the pig paw its way around the Hokage's desk.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he stepped through the doorway. "Hello, Shizune-san. Tsunade-sama is…?"

The dark-haired woman smiled up at Kakashi, and raised an imaginary glass to her lips, indicating that the Hokage was out drinking.

Kakashi nodded. Tsunade had really taken the brunt of the collective stress that had built in Konoha, and a drink or two…or ten… could really take the edge off.

"Shame. I'd wanted to speak to her…"

Shizune smiled. "She'll most likely be back before long! …But she won't want to talk to anyone… Maybe you should try to talk to her tomorrow. You can wait here if you want! I mean, uh, in… Konoha?" The Hokage's assistant blustered.

Kakashi grinned, watching Shizune fiddle with Tonton's hooves, embarrassed.

He stepped forward, spreading his fingers on the desk. "Might I use a messenger bird? I have a personal message for Gai."

Shizune agreed.

The white-haired shinobi withdrew a note from his kunai pouch, stepping over to the window, where a small bird waited patiently. A small bit of string was all it took to attach the message to the bird.

With Kakashi's message in capable hands…er, wings, the Jounin was ready to leave in search of Lee.

Before he left the Hokage's office, he turned back to Shizune.

"Would you like to… grab coffee sometime?"

Shizune looked up with a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"…Yes!"

* * *

Maito Gai stepped own the stone stairs into the vault, carrying a few bedrolls and pillows. While Tenten _could_ have just used a number of empty transportation scrolls, Gai stated that he would rather let her conserve some Chakra.

He delivered the load to the villagers who had volunteered to set the room up for use. They took the beds, and laid them out side by side.

He was halfway through the job—or at the very least, the room was half full with beds—when a small bird perched on his Jounin vest.

"Aah! Such a youthful creature, bearing a message from…" Gai unravelled the small cord that bound the note to the bird, speaking to no one in particular. "…Kakashi! What might my eternal rival need?"

Gai's light-hearted nature was exactly what the village had needed. A little hope went a long way, the mayor remarked.

The taijutsu master stepped to the side, and leaned on a tree. He didn't want to be in his student's way.

The message, scrawled in Kakashi's lazy, yet elegant script, detailed two facts.

Lee had overcome whatever it had been that kept him in the hospital, and was well on the way to a full recovery.

However, Kakashi wrote, Lee had disappeared. One moment he had been there, but as soon as he began to move, he vanished. On top of that, Kakashi had been instantly transported to a different location: Lee's hospital room.

This was unsettling, but it didn't surprise Gai half as much as it did Kakashi.

Tenten walked over. She had seen the messenger bird.

"Sensei? What's up?"

"Nothing important, Tenten!" Gai responded, slipping the note in his vest.

Tenten raised an eyebrow. It wasn't often that her teacher lied, and as such, he did it badly. She decided to leave the matter alone. If it was important enough to make Gai do something 'unyouthful', it was no business of hers.

Gai watched as Tenten was welcomed into another smiling villager's home, and waited until she exited, mattress tucked under her arm.

"A-are you okay, Gai-sensei?" the girl asked, looking over at the Jounin's distressed face.

The dams broke, and Gai began to sob.

Tenten rushed over, and Neji wasn't far behind.

Despite being a little intimidated by Gai—who was easily the toughest man Tenten knew—sobbing, she took control of the situation, comforting her sensei with soothing words.

Between muffled sobs, she caught what Gai was trying to communicate: 'Lee's skill was improving faster than his body, and the difference could possibly spell the end of the young man's life.'

Neji tried to keep the villagers from seeing this scene unfold, and sent any that drew too near on their way. Seeing their protector break down like this would be more than demoralizing; it would be absolutely _crushing._

However, when the convoy of bed sheets and mattresses halted, people began to crowd around.

Tenten asked for an explanation, and Gai gave her one. He had settled down.

The taijutsu teacher began by asking whether or not Tenten had ever seen Lee at full speed.

"Of course, Gai-sensei! When Lee removed his leg weights during the Chunin exams, I could barely see him!"

Gai frowned. "No, that's not what I'm talking about. Taking his leg-weights off are one thing, but Lee can go faster."

Tenten gulped, nervous. "…Faster…?"

Gai nodded. "He can go faster. I've seen—or, rather, I haven't seen, Lee attain enough youth to completely disappear."

The girl asked Gai to continue.

"I've just received a letter from Kakashi. He believes that Lee has been using some sort of cloaking or teleportation jutsu."

"B-but Lee can't perform any ninjutsu!" Tenten exclaimed.

Neji glanced back at his two teammates, suddenly more intrigued at this exchange.

"That's right! Lee is completely devoid of any chakra control!" Gai exclaimed, almost ready to launch his '…but that's what Lee is! A genius of hard work!' rant.

"However, _if_ he were capable of moving at such incredible speeds that time around him seemed to slow down, it may seem like he was completely gone!"

Tenten smiled. Lee truly was amazing.

"So Lee's improved himself yet again! I don't see where the problem…"

"His body isn't good enough!" Gai reiterated, sounding a little too much like Orochimaru for his own liking. "Despite the training that Lee has undergone… his speed may cause him to disintegrate."

"So… what can be done? If Lee stands perfectly still and doesn't move at all, then time would pass normally for him, wouldn't it?" Tenten was worried.

Gai shot her an ironic look. "Lee is far too youthful to remain still."

Tenten nodded, begrudgingly accepting her sensei's statement as truth. Another, darker though crossed her mind.

"If we're out here… and Lee's back in Konoha… and no one knows about his situation…" Tenten gasped. "How long can Lee survive like this?"

Gai didn't know. Whatever power Lee now possessed, the student was faster than his teacher.

"We must complete the mission. While it may seem unyouthful to leave Lee to die, it would be more unyouthful to abandon these people."

Now it was Gai's turn to comfort Tenten.

"Things may look bleak, but I know that Lee would have wanted us to go forward with the full power of youth!"

For the first time in her life, Tenten resented her teacher. The emotion passed as swiftly as it had come, but Tenten easily identified the source of her rage.

He spoke like as if Lee were already dead.

* * *

**Well shit. Looks like there's a disadvantage to being super-cool.**

**Did anyone catch that KakashixShizune moment there? Woah. **

**ALSO! My first guest review! When I started out, I thought I would have more of those than regular reviews, for some reason. **

**Review, and vote my profile! plaees!**

**[Raistlin99- You got it. You got it so hard, that I had to break my usual 'even chapters belong to people in Konoha, odd chapters are for team Gai' routine to sort the matter out. **

**Kudos.**

**Thanks for the review!]**

**[MadMeijin- I totally agree. Lee is so underrated, at least in the mange/anime! Damn. Oh well, at least he has a nice loyal fanbase. **

**You don't want to see Lee with Ino or with a harem? how come? :)]**

**Haha, review everyone! **


	14. Paint

Welp. Time for another update.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only just my plot.**

* * *

Lee didn't understand it. People weren't moving. Nothing was moving.

He stepped onto the main street. A young villager seemed to have been playing with a ball, but it wouldn't return to him. It was stuck in mid-air.

Birds weren't flying.

Bugs weren't crawling.

Nothing was moving. Lee had been walking the streets for hours… or had it been days? Even the sun seemed to have stopped.

Lee sighed. Of all the people unlucky enough to be caught in a time freezing jutsu, it had to be him.

The boy passed by Ichiraku Ramen on the way to his destination, and saw Naruto's usual seat. Would he ever be able to surpass this rival?

Not in his present state, that was certain.

Lee passed by the Hyuga mansion, and was tempted momentarily to enter. It was possible that Hinata had heard from her brother—though unlikely.

Neji's disapproving glare would have been more than welcome. Lee was feeling down.

At least his legs were feeling better… much better. Maybe Kakashi's treatment had been more effective than expected.

Lee decided that he would visit everyone who had supported him as he recovered, and bring gifts. In order to do so, Lee would have to escape this time-warping jutsu.

A new light of determination set fire to Lee's eyes. He had beaten ninjutsu before. If he relied on hard work and taijutsu, this trap would be easy to escape.

"I will overcome this!" He declared loudly, strolling back and forth in front of the Hyuga compound.

Lee thought about Hinata, probably because he was close her motionless form. She had visited fairly often, usually with her cousin. Neji would update Lee on Gai's training schedule—just to get a reaction, Lee assumed—and Hinata would deliver some baked goods or other small gifts.

The girl was shy… but she almost never let her timidity get in the way of her compassion. Almost. Lee had seen the way she followed Naruto around.

It was a little weird.

Lee smiled, an idea forming in his head. Helping others had always been one of his strong points, and the idea of giving Hinata a leg up gave Lee even more purpose; more reasons why he had to break out of this jutsu.

When he was finally free, Lee would give Hinata the gift of 'confidence', and do for her what Gai had done for him.

* * *

Ino Yamanaka was disappointed that she hadn't seen Lee.

She had walked the familiar hallway until she saw his door, and mentally prepared herself for what was _sure_ to be a romantic conversation with the cutest shinobi in Konoha.

Ino sighed, disappointed with herself. She was beautiful, nobody denied that. She was more than popular.

Had she… dropped her standards? Lee was definitely a different person than Sasuke was… Different described Lee very well, actually.

But Lee had a charm of his own. Despite having caterpillars for eyebrows, and a bald head… Ino smirked at that.

Lee was sexy as a baldy.

The boy was determined, loyal, simple yet complex, and he had a one track mind. A mind that Ino wanted devoted to her, the same way it was devoted to Forehead-chan.

Sakura Haruno was going to lose, and Ino was going to win. Ino was going to win Lee's heart, regardless of what anyone thought.

She raised her fist to the door, hesitation gone. She knocked…but her knuckles didn't connect. The door had opened, and Kakashi leaned backwards to avoid being hit.

"Hello, Ino-san." Kakashi greeted, his mask stretching to accommodate his smile.

"A-ah! Kakashi-sensei! I'm sorry!"

Kakashi's smile grew. "That's alright. You were coming to visit Lee?"

Ino kicked at the ground bashfully, scuffing the linoleum beneath her sandals. "I thought he would be out of treatment by now." She mumbled.

"About that…" Kakashi brought a hand up to stroke the fabric of his mask, deep in thought. "…Lee's vanished. Have you seen him?"

"Vanished…?" Ino smiled warmly at the old man. "He's probably just hiding somewhere. He's pretty embarrassed without his hair."

"You're probably right." Kakashi laughed, excusing himself and leaving down the hall.

Ino glanced from left to right, and then entered the vacant room. She turned to close the door behind her.

The room smelled… good. Ino inhaled deeply, enjoying the mixed scent.

Roses. Dasies. Cookies. Sweat. Masculinity.

Ino smiled. It was definitely Rock Lee's room. She plopped down onto his bed. Another smell invaded her senses, and it made her frown.

Sakura blossoms.

The blonde shrugged off the feeling that had tied a knot in her stomach. Lee was as good as hers, and nothing Sakura could do would change that.

She would be taking Lee to the clan ball—or, rather, Lee would be taking her. Ino lay down on Lee's bed and smelled his sheets. Who would have guessed that fuzzy-brow could smell so good?

* * *

Lee recalled seeing Ino in the hospital, and assumed that she had gone that way to visit him.

He had travelled all over the village, thinking up thank-you gifts for all of his friends. It wasn't exactly a common practice to thank visitors with anything other than those two words, but then Lee wasn't a common ninja.

There were three girls who presented an enigma to Lee, and in more ways than one.

Sakura Haruno: his crush. What did you get the woman who had everything? Sakura _was_ everything. The sun rose when she smiled, and set when she frowned. Truly, the only thing she desired, as far as Lee could tell… was Sasuke.

The boy sighed.

If he worked himself harder than ever, he could surpass the Uchiha's genius. And then he would drag Sasuke back to Konoha. And Sakura would never so much as look at him again.

The boy sighed.

Tenten was… suddenly, without warning… more than a friend. She had always been an excellent teammate, and a youthful companion. She was his rock—someone to rely on in the thick of battle, or after a rigorous training session.

But all that could change. Tenten had _kissed_ him! Many, many times! It was… awesome. She tasted like cinnamon and chocolate.

His usual gift-choosing process would have to change to reflect this new—and exciting—new relationship. A new kunai set or pack of shuriken wouldn't cut it.

And then there was Ino. She was gorgeous! Lee had no idea how to convey that with a gift. Flowers? But her parents owned the flower shop… Lee groaned in frustration.

Lee walked towards the hospital, where he had seen Ino last.

She wasn't there. The nurse on the first floor, the one with the stretcher, had moved farther down the hallway, and was frozen in a different stage of motion; stepping with her left foot rather than her right.

Ino wasn't climbing up the stairs anymore.

Lee blinked. Where could she…

It seemed time had passed, somehow. It was just… passing incredibly slowly. But if time had passed, then…

Kakashi. Would Kakashi be okay?

Lee ran to his room, and swung the door open. His cheeks immediately became wildfire. Ino was frozen in a bit of a compromising position. She was bent over on his bed, snuggling herself into his pillow.

Lee stopped dead in his tracks, embarrassed to no end.

And that was when time began to flow.

* * *

Ino withdrew her face from Lee's pillow, sensing chakra in the room that wasn't hers.

"L-Lee!" She exclaimed. "When did you get back? Kakashi was worried about you." The blonde tried to save face, getting off the bed.

"I was just… fluffing your pillows."

Lee didn't respond. His lips seemed to blur, but Ino convinced herself that it was only just her imagination.

The blonde stepped up to the boy, and stood inches from his face. "You know, Lee…" Ino examined her nails, dragging the conversation on. "…you never did give me an answer. Are you going to take me to the Konoha Clan Ball?"

Lee didn't respond. His lips blurred once again.

Ino frowned.

"Maybe… Maybe this'll convince you."

The girl stood on her toes, and pecked Lee's lips. They were almost too warm; they held the kind of heat that came from rubbing your hands together. Friction.

No response from Lee. More blurring around the mouth.

Ino became angry. "Hey! This is harder for me than you think! The least you could do is—"

She stopped herself with a gasp. The skin around Lee's lips was beginning to peel off, like old paint.

Ino shrieked as Lee began to bleed from these wounds. And then he disappeared.

Genjutsu, or…? No, Lee had been there. She had touched him. A familiar blush returned; She had definitely touched him.

This was something more serious. Lee was in trouble, Ino knew from the bottom of her soul. Whatever it was, she was confident she could cure it.

And then, she smiled, Lee would thank her with a thousand of his hot kisses.

* * *

**Imagine a world where even Ino can be a little bashful at times. You have now entered: The Twilight Zone.**

**This whole chapter was a shameless exploitation of circumstances to see the romance situation from Lee's eyes. lol.**

**Wwoooooow, I went to bed last night, and had no reviews. tfw no rv ****_or_**** gf. :/**

**But you guys delivered. Thanks. **

**[MadMeijin- You're right, I agree on all points. I definitely want to see some rivalry between everyone!**

**The only way I could ever write a Leexharem story is if it was kind of********forced on him, and he just kind of went with the flow. Every female involved would have to be dominatrix to da max, and I think that would be way too out of character for the ladies.**

**Thanks for the review!]**

**[Kokabiel- If you'd been a moment later, this response would have had to wait 'till tomorrow. :P**

**Nothing for Lee has ever been easy! I'd hate to give him UNLIMITED POERW with out him having to work his butt off for it. **

**Lee's always been my favorite, with Jiraiya coming in second place. It's a shame that Lee isn't doing anything spectacular in the manga at the moment.**

**Thanks for the review.]**

**Keep voting, fanficfans!**


	15. Bedspread

Updaaaayt-desu

**Disclaimer: I disclaim the Naruto manga, anime, action figures, and other paraphernalia. I own nothing.**

* * *

Tenten knew it was childish. It was immature, and very unrealistic. But a girl could hope, right? That's exactly what she did. Tenten hoped with all her might, and with every fibre of her being that Lee was alright.

Lee had defied impossible odds before. He got his second chance after his fight with Gaara. Most shinobi _died_, and that was it. But the universe, or God, or whoever was in charge always seemed to reward Lee's hard work with enough health to work even harder.

If Tenten had been in less of a mood, she might have laughed.

Lee was a natural born underdog. There were many in Konoha who believed that he was unfit to be a ninja, despite his performance at the Chunin Exams. He was an underdog, but fate seemed to smile upon him.

Tenten smiled through her pain. Fate had nothing to do with it. Lee made his own fate with his own hands, and this situation would be no different.

Lee would be fine, Tenten assured herself, dropping off a pair of sleeping bags. She stepped out of the vault, smiling at Neji as he passed.

The team could use a little bit of cheerfulness, and Tenten was glad to provide the commodity that both Lee and Gai usually carried several metric tons of.

Tenten stopped to locate a house that hadn't been emptied of its beds, just in time to see a young girl, who couldn't have been more than five, running as fast as her short legs could carry her.

Tenten glanced up to see a woman—presumably the child's mother—burst out of a house and begin pursuing the little girl.

The bun-adorned kunoichi scooped the little escapee up, smiling at the younger brunette's hair; a less practiced version of her own, with two messy buns.

"Hello, what's your name?" Tenten asked.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Tenten."

"Me too." The little girl; Tenten, said proudly.

The mother caught up to the pair of Tentens. "Nana! Don't run off like that! Things aren't safe right now."

Tenten handed the child over.

"But mooooom," Tenten… or rather Nana... whined, channeling her inner teen, "Tenten was here to protect me. And you have to call me Tenten from now on!"

The mother sighed, and smiled at Tenten—Tenten senior—apologetically. "I'm sorry about this. You're busy, I know, but my daughter hasn't been able to get you off her mind."

Tenten didn't mind, and told the mother so. "It's always nice to have a fan."

Nana, who'd been set down to give her mother's arms a break, began to do mock-taijutsu moves; comical karate-chops and punches, with a kick thrown in for good measure.

"I'm going to become a ninja like you some day!" she declared. "A real kuno-kunoi—"Kunoichi." Tenten finished.

"Yeah! That!"

The girl's mother introduced herself as Asada Shizuko.

Neji, who hadn't stopped working, shot a look of thinly disguised contempt at Tenten. Slackers, dropouts; these were the words that had plagued the Hyuga's mind only a short while before.

Tenten had to give him credit; Neji was like a new man… at least he had learned some compassion.

The girl scratched the back of her head gently, careful not to muss up her hair in front of her petite admirer.

"Looks like I've got to get back to work. It was great meeting you both." She said. With a parting smile she added: "Next time I visit, I'll definitely check in on you two, to help you with your ninjutsu!" And then, without thinking: "… and I'll bring my boyfriend!"

The mission came first. Team Gai's duty was to protect these villagers from any threat.

It didn't matter _what_ was happening. Even if Konohagakure was being invaded by Orochimaru and an army of garden snakes, Neji knew that the mission had to be completed.

Neji, who was perhaps the most level-headed of the group, tried to use this leverage to put things into perspective.

Gai couldn't reach Konoha in a day, and if the taijutsu champ with unparalleled speed couldn't, then his students had no chance.

What would they have done in Konoha anyway? Wait for Lee to show up? As far as the Hyuga could perceive, Lee was unable to cooperate with people in his state.

He was too fast for them.

Team Gai had finished loading the vault, with hours to spare. Several villagers had invited the ninja team over for meals, and so the mayor—in order to avoid the kind of house-hold rivalry that sometimes tore apart small villages where everybody was aquainted—decided to hold a feast.

Feast… wasn't the right word for it. Neji knew feasts; long tables set with everything the heart and stomach could desire.

The mayor simply commandeered the single eatery in town, pushed all the tables together, and promised to give the employees a chunk of ryo from the treasury if they served the guests well.

Tenten and Gai seemed pleased by the royal treatment.

Tenten couldn't stay angry at her teacher for very long. She knew that her sensei would never give up on Lee—the two identically-dressed ninja were family.

Neji knew that while Tenten wouldn't let herself be caught up in the juvenile 'my problems are worse than yours' comparison with her teacher, she knew that Gai, as a Jounin, was a little more experienced at hiding his pain for the sake of the mission.

He had taken on fiercer missions with more at stake, of course, and always managed to obey the fourth rule.

The fourth rule of a Konoha shinobi dictated that ninja completed the mission, at any cost.

Neither student would accuse their teacher of breaking rule twenty-five: 'A ninja must never show tears." Thanks to the combined efforts of Neji and Tenten, nobody but Gai's students saw him crying.

The Hyuga watched silently, assessing the situation with the calm precision that Byakugan users had.

Gai was hurting, but he had put on a brave face, and laughed jovially with his students at a joke one of the villagers cracked.

Tenten couldn't shake Lee off of her mind. It was plain to see, even for somebody without Neji's genius and ocular jutsu.

The little girl who sat beside her at the restaurant was a practical replica of the older girl. She asked Tenten who she had been drawing.

The weapon's mistress stirred slightly, as if waking up from a trance. She glanced at her plate to see the bulbous haircut and thick eyebrows of Rock Lee staring her back.

Tenten had drawn the taijutsu master onto her plate with some left-over gravy.

It was a pretty accurate rendition of the boy, too. Neji briefly wondered where Tenten had learned to draw, but chalked it up to Tenten's skill with weapons translating into proficiency with all hand tools.

She was definitely good with her hands.

Neji smirked as his teammate tried to scratch Lee's likeness from her palate, and make an excuse to the small girl, who obviously admired Tenten.

What had the girl's name been?

Tenten had introduced her teammates to the new friends she had made, and Gai was excited that even in the face of danger, youthful friendships could bloom like flowers trampled under so many boots.

Neji didn't really notice what Gai was saying.

A few strands of hair had come loose from his female friend's normally-perfect haircut, and now teased Tenten's forehead.

Neji resisted the urge to tuck those strands behind her ears, exposing her warm brown eyes fully.

The weapon mistress would never let him live it down, and would pester him with puns about his 'gentle fists' until the day he died.

Nana. That was it. The miniature Tenten wanted to become a ninja too, one day, and insisted on being called Tenten, too.

Tenten had a way of inspiring people with her quiet determination. Gai and Lee's high-energy encouragements were fine, and usually did the trick, but Neji didn't need his kekkei genkai to know that the girl was the backbone of the team.

Neji sighed.

What was it about her, all of a sudden? A week earlier she had just been a regular teammate, but now…

…now what?

It was probably because she was beginning to display some signs of affection… towards Lee.

Neji allowed his face to fold into a small smile, proud to have gotten to the bottom of a mystery. He bore no feelings for his female teammate; it was just some psychological complex rooted in his rivalry with Lee. Tenten was just another prize to be won.

And yet, every fibre of the Hyuga's soul screamed: 'you're lying.'

Time had passed. The sun had set. The villagers had all filed into their stone sanctuary.

Night had come.

Maito Gai watched the forest, but kept Neji in the corner of his vision. The boy had better eyes for the job.

The night seemed still—or at least as still as it had been the previous evening. Rustles were heard here and there, but no mammoth bears had barrelled through the trees.

Gai was ashamed to say that he was a little distracted. It was unyouthful to abandon a mission, especially one where so many innocent lives were at stake, but yet…

Lee.

The idea of Gai's protégé being hurt, perhaps even dyin…

No, Gai reminded himself; that was a dark place to be in. He had to trust his student to find his own way out of this mess.

The Jounin forced a smile onto his face. For all he knew, Lee could be reclining in his apartment, reading a light novel and sipping fruity juice.

A real smile replaced Gai's fake one. It wasn't possible; Lee was too much like him to choose reading over training. If Lee _was_ okay, he was probably doing single-finger push-ups or running around the village.

Lee was a youthful kid. Gai swelled with pride, glad to have met the young man, and even happier to say that he had helped to mold his student into the splendid shinobi that he was.

The Jounin was pulled from his nostalgic thoughts of academy-era Lee by a faint thud.

Neji had collapsed.

Gai smiled, suddenly very eager. It had finally begun.

* * *

**What's wrong, Neji? **

**What's that you say? Not enough reviews? **

**I'm only kidding. I really appreciate the reviews that I got. **

**[Raistlin99- He'll manage. He's Rock Lee, after all. ;)**

**Thanks for the review.]**

**New Story, Guise. Check my profile! It's called 'Icha Icha: Resurrection'.**

**Keep voting, everybody. And review for all that is good and holy or bad and unholy I dont care what your motives may be i just need reviews holy run-on sentence batman**

**I don't own Batman either.**


	16. Teahouse

Hello, I come bringing glad tidings of good cheer and an update.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

Hinata Hyuga had not, in fact, been at her family's mansion. She and Sakura were spending time together at a fairly new teahouse, sipping at a soothing herbal blend of tea.

Both girls were trying to relax after a long day.

Sakura had had a training session with Tsunade, and the Sannin pushed her extra hard. The pink-haired girl expressed that she was grateful for her master's vigorous training.

Tsunade had a way of gearing her impromptu training meets to attack wherever Sakura was weakest at that particular moment.

After a double shift at the hospital, Tsunade would demand endurance training. After a particularly chakra-draining activity, the Hokage would appear and make Sakura do some chakra control exercises; usually lifting boulders or weights that would be appropriate for Lee to use.

Hinata, on the other hand, had been working on improving her Gentle Fist techniques. She'd begun last night, after a fitful sleep, and continued for most of the day, skipping a few meals.

The Hyuga heiress had truly stepped up her game. The Chunin exams had acted as a sort of catalyst; separating the girls from the women. Hinata's defeat at Neji's hands had inspired her to improve, and with Naruto gone with his perverted teacher, Hinata had needed to find a new way to spend her time.

So she turned to training. The Chunin exams had opened her eyes to some serious facts. First, she realised that she was inconceivably weak.

It had less to do with physical strength, and more concerned her mental tenacity.

She had fought with Neji Hyuga; a true genius. There was absolutely _no way_ she could have defeated him.

At least, that's what Hinata had convinced herself.

Her father felt differently. Hiashi was right. With only just simple hand seal, she could have… she could have destroyed Neji's brain cells, rendering him immobilized.

Hinata knew that she could have _won._

The second thing she learned was that she could improve. Learning Lee's story, and seeing his will… A true will of fire, one that blazed just as fiercely as any Jounin… Hinata vowed to become better, to spend less time sneaking around, and more time training.

If Rock Lee, who was born without ability, could become so strong… Anyone could.

The two females didn't exactly notice the thin mist that had suddenly descended upon the room. Had they stayed a few hours, they might have noticed a little red moisture on some flat surfaces. And, upon closer inspection, they may have realised that the moisture was a dark red, and carried an overbearing metallic smell.

It was blood.

Lee had entered the room.

* * *

Lee was in pain. It was a foreign type of pain—not the sharp stabs of Neji's gentle fists, or the dull thud of his teacher's powerful blows. It was a different pain than melting alive from the waist down.

Lee had eventually realised, after experimenting with his speed—running, walking, stepping at a snail's pace—that it wasn't the world that had slowed down. He had simply sped up.

That revelation evoked mixed emotions.

He was in control. Control was something that Lee had always sought after; he may have been born a smaller vessel, a mere rowboat in a world of sailboats and battleships. Lee knew he had something that ocean liners and yachts lacked. Oars.

Unfortunately, his control over the situation was pretty limited. He knew—vaguely—what was going on, and had hypothesized several ways of setting the situation back to normal; though none of his solutions could be executed without putting Lee back in the hospital for an undisclosed amount of time.

That wouldn't do. He was running a deadline; he had to recover before Gai-sensei and his teammates returned.

The pain his body was currently in… It was like a headache. It was a dull, throbbing headache that had crept down his spine, eventually flaring through his veins and arteries, shooting into his capillaries, and then setting his skin on fire.

He was losing some blood. His skin had sort of… peeled off in places, looking like a nasty sunburn in its later stages, except that this one was deeper, taking off more skin.

The taijutsu specialist was, to put it bluntly, a walking knee-scrape. He was bleeding out from the pores in his skin.

It didn't take a genius to know that he couldn't' go on at whatever speed he was clocking; he had to be stopped.

Lee's first brilliant scheme to knock himself out had been to bash his skull into a tree.

He sped—though in his eyes it was a walker's pace—through the Konoha gate, pleased to see the world outside of his village hadn't changed too drastically. Of course, autumn was just beginning, and colors splashed here and there amongst the rest of the leaves.

In short; his plan failed.

Whatever was causing his every movement to be executed at blinding speeds had also upped his resistance to pain considerably. He should have guessed as much; his legs didn't bother him at all, other than where the skin had peeled.

He should have guessed. If he had, he wouldn't have split a tree with a _freaking_ headbutt.

The genin sighed, and realised that he would probably have to find someone with fists stronger than tree trunks.

He would need Sakura for this one.

* * *

Sakura was tired.

She was tired enough to lust after the prospect of sleep with an almost reckless abandon, and nothing sounded sweeter than being curled up in a warm ball on something soft.

Sakura was tired, but she had work to do.

Rock Lee was in some kind of distress. As his active duty nurse, she had an obligation to help him in any way possible, even after a long day.

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail can stop a postman delivering his letters. Would Sakura let _mild exhaustion_ prevent her from taking care of Lee?

Nope.

She had been startled, when a note appeared out of nowhere. Without truly explaining the situation Lee was in, it said that she had to be ready to punch him as hard as she could, in the face.

It was the only way to save him.

It was an amazing way to let out her frustration.

The note had explained that Lee would stop on top of another slip of paper, torn from the small notebook that he used to transcribe all of Gai's lectures and speeches.

The second note appeared on the floor of the teahouse, which wasn't very packed. Sakura set herself up, twisting her body slightly to deliver as much force as possible.

Lee appeared, dead still a moment before Sakura released her tightly coiled muscles, and took the hit square in the jaw.

He flew a considerable distance—into a rack of fancy cups. Sakura grimaced; this wasn't exactly the stress-free solution that Hinata had promised it would be.

The dark-haired girl was already pinching some monetary notes out of her kunai pouch. Anything to help Lee out. Those had been her words when Sakura had read the note out loud.

Strange…

Sakura didn't have much time to think about it. Lee was coming around, moaning a little groggily.

The pink-haired girl delivered a Tsunade-style chakra flick to Lee's forehead, which sent his defenseless brain back into la-la land.

Sakura was tired.

She could have called a team of medi-nin to take Lee back to the hospital.

Sakura was tired, but she took on the task of delivering the boy to his hospital room—which hadn't yet been filled, surprisingly enough—herself.

Sakura cared for the boy behind the eyebrows.

* * *

The pink-haired Genin had called the first person she could think of.

Lee had finally explained, to the best of his ability, what was wrong. Hatake Kakashi looked on, slightly amused, as the boy made certain parts of his body disappear by waving them around.

"Maybe you can represent me for Gai's next few challenges." The Jounin smiled. Lee seemed to have been travelling at speeds that surpassed his teacher's.

Lee couldn't respond: his lips would move too fast, and his vocal chords, unused to speaking so swiftly, emitted something more akin to a dog-whistle than words.

Kakashi was still low on chakra, but he assumed he had it in him to perform one more sealing jutsu.

It took the Jounin some time, but a new seal was applied; this time to Lee's chest. It was a seal that was usually used on enemies—especially high-risk prisoners.

The seal would weaken Lee; reduce his strength, speed, agility, endurance, and stamina to about half of their original value.

The second issue, Kakashi stated, was getting the floors cleaned up, and Lee's flesh wounds healed. He had lost a lot of blood, and would have to rest.

Lee, now capable of speech, thanked his master's rival for all the help.

He thanked Sakura for the part she played in his recovery, playfully nursing the lump that was forming where she had hit him.

"We should do that again sometime." Lee said, smiling at his long-time crush.

Sakura laughed. "Whatever you say, Lee."

The boy in question cheered. "It's a date, then."

* * *

**But is it really a date? **

**Woooooow, I'm more tired than I should be. Shame, I wanted to write up a LeeIno oneshot tonight.**

**[Raistlin99- I'm gonna have to try to get off the whole genjutsu shtick. It's becoming predictable. **

**Ty 4 da rv.]**

**Vote and review please! **

**Review so much, review so hard. Review deeper, baby. **


	17. Kunai

It's an elaborate ruse! No, it's an update.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. It's characters belong to another. **

* * *

From her position outside the Town Hall, Tenten looked relaxed.

It was a gimmick; an elaborate ruse designed to make any opponents drop their guard.

In fact, every muscle in the girl's lithe form was tense. Her face was a mask of concentration. She watched, and listened.

For a ninja, abandoning a post could spell death. Leaving a target or defensive position unguarded… or even rushing to help a comrade who was in danger, could result in the mission's failing.

Tenten tried her best to ignore the flashes of light emanating from the space just before the forest began.

The flashes of light were Gai's doing. They flickered a little, and the luminance teased the underside of tree branches.

The light came from some kind of fire—many fires, fading as swiftly as they were lit.

Unless Gai-sensei or the bears that he was supposed to be wrestling had learned some fire-release ninjutsu…

Gai was most likely using his 'morning peacock' attack.

Tenten was a little scared. Whatever was out there, it had caused her teacher to open six of the eight chakra gates.

Somehow, Tenten doubted that it (they?) was a single entity. As she watched the forest react to Gai's atmosphere-igniting attack, she heard her traps being set off.

Cold, deadly kunai resonated against metals, and thudded into wood.

Kunai were cold. Tenten was cold.

The girl gave herself a moment to truly relax. She rolled her shoulders in small circles, and rubbed her arms rapidly.

Goosebumps formed up and down her slender arms. Tenten vowed that she would look into purchasing some new clothing—maybe something with sleeves.

Tenten returned to her original posture as a sharp growl ripped through the relatively quiet night.

Gai had asked her to stay in front of the Town Hall. It was an elaborate ruse; a key position where she could watch the shack that hid its vault, without drawing too much attention to the building.

Whatever was out there fighting with Gai-sensei… If he failed, she would have to take care of things herself.

And where was Neji? His blue chakra should have reflected off of trees, same as Gai's flames.

Could Neji-san have…

Tenten shook her head, almost violently. Neji was _not_ in trouble. He couldn't be. If Neji was in danger, and Gai-sensei was in danger… Where did that leave her?

Tenten briefly considered rushing into the vault, and leading a mass exodus, taking the villagers to Konoha or somewhere else. Tenten sighed. She was lying to herself. The only reason the thought of taking shelter in the stone vault was because… because she was afraid.

What kind of monster did It take to spur Gai on like this? To… harm Neji, who was definitely one of the most powerful Genin in Konoha?

Tenten steeled her resolve, and absent-mindedly drew a shuriken from her pouch. Tenten slid her fingers over the smooth, black metal, warming it with body heat.

It was comforting—a simple kind of comfort, akin to the type a child might feel wielding a flashlight to keep the darkness away. It was enough to separate Tenten from immediate danger, but not enough to dispel her fears.

A large mass of dark fur cut through the air, spinning in an almost comical fashion, startling the birds in the forest.

Was Gai fighting bears after all…?

Tenten almost laughed at the thought.

* * *

Gai wasn't laughing.

Scores, hundreds, thousands of bears had emerged from the forest, an unwavering tsunami of muscle, fur, and flesh.

The taijutsu master's first move was to get to Neji. The boy had a heartbeat, and good coloring in his face—at least as good as Neji's pale face could get.

Gai leapt backwards, student in arms, and leaned the boy against a building. Perhaps not the safest position; but if he let the bears get too close…

The second bridge folded into itself under the combined weight of the bears… though Gai's swift kick to one of the supporting trusses may have contributed significantly.

A dozen, maybe twenty grizzlies had fallen into the valley, and couldn't make their way back up the sheer cliff's face.

They key, then, was to dump the beasts into the valley—preferably without hurting the things.

Gai smashed the other bridge with a punch that would make Tsunade look twice.

More bears fell. That was good.

Some of the animals began leaping over the gash in the earth, desperate to get to the village on the other side.

To the village?

It didn't make sense.

Gai shrugged unconsciously, throwing his worries off of him in one fluid motion.

It was time to fight. Thinking could come later.

Most of the jumping bears fell short, and tumbled down the cliff. Those that did make it over were quickly dispatched by either Tenten's traps or Gai's fists.

He did his best to protect the village without injuring the animals, but as time passed, more and more furry corpses littered the edge of the cliff.

Neji's help would have been greatly appreciated. Gai could handle the fight, but the sealing off of pressure points was probably more humane than knocking the bears unconscious.

Oh well.

Gai fought off the bears for some time, deftly avoiding being clawed at.

It was just a matter of using the bears' own weight and strength against them; if they slashed downwards, Gai would use a strategically placed punch to make them summersault down into the ditch. If they slashed horizontally, he just needed to prod them enough, and let their own momentum do the rest.

Gai felt good to be able to fight again. The brief morning exercise routine wasn't nearly enough to satisfy his hunger for self-improvement. It wasn't good to be away from Kakashi for too long; rivalry was inspiration, and a person lacking a rival soon became complacent.

Of course, these thoughts hadn't exactly formed in Gai's head. He was simply bathing in something primal. He was pure adrenaline, pure testosterone.

And then he was in pain. Something erupted _at_ his stomach, and the Jounin slid backwards a few feet.

He had been hit.

Gai reeled slightly from the impact; it took some serious pressure to injure his toned body. Another blow came to the back of Gai's neck, and his vision swam.

Gai could have sworn that he saw figures—those ridiculous human-animal hybrids—urging the bears on. Could genjutsu be behind their aggression?

Gai didn't have time to think about it too much. His legs were swept out from under him.

It was time to get down to business.

"Sixth Gate of View: Open!"

The flow of battle changes in an instant. Gai is suddenly slightly faster than his opponent, who was now visible.

Sound Nin. Long hair. Thin lips. Oddly rounded eyes.

The enemy was nothing too remarkable. Gai didn't care. He saw only a target.

Several hits were landed, but no finishing blow. Gai's punches, at this point, were fast enough to ignite the atmosphere around him, and burn away at his enemy. The Sound Ninja reeled as Gai struck his solar plexus, but managed to flip backwards to get away from Gai.

For the second time in minutes, the flow of battle changed.

The Sound Nin's left hand twisted into a hand seal that Gai didn't recognise, and he blurred out of view at an awe-inspiring speed.

It didn't take long for both combatants to come to terms with the fact that Maito Gai was still at an advantage. He was the taijutsu master here, and knew far more techniques.

Using superior speed, the enemy ninja stepped around that slight obstacle. Before Gai could react, he was kicked _through_ a small village house, closer to where Tenten was positioned.

The Sound Ninja advanced until his eyes were inches from Gai's.

The position was almost intimate, and indeed, the enemy reached up to cup Gai's jaw as if to kiss him.

Gai realised he couldn't break away as he looked disdainfully into his enemy's eyes. The opponent was too strong, or perhaps Gai was too weak.

Gai _was_ too weak. He was becoming weaker by the minute, until he couldn't move at all. It felt like sleep paralysis, though Gai was sure that he wasn't sleeping.

The taijutsu master looked up at the Sound Ninja's eyes, which had glossed over slightly.

"Maito Gai. You truly are a ravaging beast." The enemy set Gai down gently. "He was lucky to have grown near you."

Gai pondered that for a moment. "…Who…?" The taijutsu king could barely form the word without moving his mouth, and it came out sounding more like 'Hhrrouuugh?'.

The Sound Ninja had already moved on. "Now, I am going to take the scroll that is hidden in your vault." He said it matter-of-factly, as if it had already been decided, and smiled down at Gai.

"I sincerely hope that nobody tries to stop me." His grin widened, implying that he would harm anybody who made the attempt.

Gai immediately thought of Tenten, whose orders were to stop anything at any cost. At the moment, she would most likely be trying to repel the bears that had passed Gai.

Was today to be her last…?

Gai managed to gargle out another question. "…Why…?"

The long-haired man answered this time. "For Lee-kun, of course." Suddenly, Gai saw nothing but hate in his opponent's previously bored-looking eyes, and the man knelt down.

"You're like a father to him, aren't you?"

If Gai could have, he would have nodded. Instead, he defiantly shouted about youth and beauty and springtime and life and love and friendship and some more youth.

It came out gargled, and the Sound Nin laughed bitterly. He pulled a kunai from a nearby wall.

"Unfortunately, Lee-kun cannot have two fathers."

The enemy ninja slid the kunai across Gai's throat, effectively slicing him open.

* * *

**Wut. Gai? Dead?**

**I suppose Lee ****_could_**** have two fathers. Just not biologi-**

**Man, I think this chapter might piss off some people. Animal rights activists? LGBT?  
Well, flame me please if you are offended.**

**But please don't be offended. **

**[This is where I would respond to my review.**

**IF I HAD ONE]**

**haha, anyway, stay tuned. Don't touch that dial. Unless you want to. **

**Love you all. **

**Please review, review please. **


	18. Tunnel

Hello! It's time for another update!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, so please take legal action on someone else. **

* * *

Tenten _knew._

Tenten couldn't hear Gai. Gai was loud. Gai was boisterous. _What had happened to Gai?_

Tenten _knew._

The girl took a moment to wipe her watery eyes on her arm, lobbing three shuriken at her furry opponent in the same fluid motion.

Bears had filtered in one by one, only to meet Tenten's fury, which was cold and hard as anything in her collection of weaponry. The bears didn't bother her. The fact that she could no longer hear Gai-sensei fighting did bother her.

She had heard the two loud crashes as Gai's body entered and exited through the walls of a village house, but her teacher had been out of range. Muffled voices could be heard, but they were too far away to decipher any words.

Tenten knew her duties, and worrying wasn't one of them.

The girl tossed a scroll into the air, and used her chakra to unbind two of the transportation seals scrawled onto the parchment.

A pair of weapons materialised with a poof of white smoke, and Tenten grasped them both.

The weapons mistress felt the corners of her mouth turn up, despite her situation. The weapons that she had chosen weren't exactly compatible with each other, but Tenten knew how to use them. They were old friends.

One was a scabbard; an old-looking curved blade that Tenten twirled with a bit of a flourish, and slid into her kunai pouch. She found a slit that had been cut into the bottom of the pouch to act like an artificial sheath.

With the sword temporarily put away, Tenten grasped her other weapon with both hands. It was a metal staff, with a little extra weight on either end to provide more balance, and more power.

Her smile had widened, seeing her ferocious opponent advance. Tenten brought the weapon down on the bear's back, wheeling around to attack its flank.

The bear reared onto its back legs, and tottered around to face Tenten. It pulled its paws into the air, making itself look bigger in a predatory way.

Tenten was not prey. She was the predator in this situation, and aimed to prove it. Tenten reeled back slightly, as if to retreat, but then jabbed at the bear just underneath its sturdy ribcage.

Now it was the bear's turn to reel from a blow that knocked the wind out of its lungs.

Tenten mapped out one more strike; a heavy swipe to the side of the creature's head. The height difference made it a little tricky, but the weapons master managed to land the hit.

The bear crumpled, unconscious.

Tenten braced for the next bear.

It never came.

From between the row of houses, where Tenten had expected the next furry warrior, stepped a Sound Ninja.

The man smiled at Tenten, noting her presence without losing his stride. He was walking in the direction of the shack.

"Hello, Tenten-chan."

The brunette couldn't bring herself to answer. Her eyes flitted back and forth, from his bloody hands, to his strange smile. Was it… rueful? Ironic?

Tenten couldn't tell.

She couldn't tell where the blood on his hands had come from, as bear and human blood was much the same.

Tenten couldn't tell.

But she _knew._

* * *

Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.

* * *

What were friends?

Tenten briefly considered. Friends were people. Animals counted too; after all, dogs were man's best friend.

Friends were people, but enemies were people as well. This Sound Ninja was a person, and Sound Ninja were people in general.

Were enemies just people on the wrong side of the fence? Were enemies just people that fate had thrown at each other, like a child trying to destroy toys by heaving them at a wall?

Friends. Were friends simply the toys that were still deemed worthy by the fate-child?

Tenten shook her head, still watching the Sound Nin's retreating form, as he approached the shack.

No.

A mental image of Team Gai, relaxing after a long day of training floated through Tenten's mind. They were all lying on the ground, listening to Gai, who was delivering one of his more serious speeches on the importance of knowing limits.

Friends were the people in your heart. Fate, whatever his age might be, had nothing to do with it.

And enemies? Tenten wouldn't consider that at the moment. There was a more pressing matter—the bastard with his bloody hands on the shack's doorknob.

Tenten advanced on this enemy, with a steely malice in her chocolate eyes.

She used her running momentum to throw the pole at her opponent. It hit the opponent squarely between the shoulder blades, and the sound Ninja was pushed forward into the outwards-swinging door, closing it.

He turned to view Tenten, with a wide grin pasted on his _horrible, filthy, hell-bound_ face.

"Tenten-chan?" He laughed.

The bun-headed kunoichi felt her blood boil in her veins. Was this the creep who had hurt her teammates?

"How are you? Are you taking good care of Lee-kun?" The melodious voice of the Sound Nin rang obnoxiously through the air as he turned to face Tenten.

Tenten's response came in the form of steel.

She slashed violently with the scabbard, but its blade met air instead of flesh.

The Sound Nin had sidestepped Tenten's downward slash, the same way she had avoided the bears' claws.

He was only a short distance away, and Tenten pushed the sword towards her opponent.

"You truly are beautiful. You use that sword like a painter uses a brush."

The compliment fell dead between the two ninja. It wasn't sincere.

"I can see why Lee-kun thinks so highly of you."

He had brought up Lee again. Tenten felt her rage build again, and sprung backwards on her hands.

Once she was a safe distance away, Tenten fished a scroll from her pouch. Setting up the traps had really hurt her inventory—she only had two scrolls to use, after this one was spent.

Tenten lobbed the rolled parchment into the air, letting it unroll a little before applying chakra to the seals, forcing kunai, shuriken and other projectiles out at the Sound Ninja.

The enemy seemed as bored as Shikamaru, and yet as happy as Lee.

He dodged them all, and they lodged into buildings or the ground.

"That last one almost got me!" He said, grin still twisting his face. "You're fierce, but maybe Lee would be happier with the Haruno girl…" With this said, the Sound Nin glanced up, smirking.

Tenten advanced with her sword once again, reacting to the taunt with a string of curses.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" He grasped Tenten's wrist, stopping her attack short. "And more importantly, do you plan to kiss my s—"

He interrupted himself with a hiss of pain. Tenten had instinctively reached into her kunai pouch with her free hand, and stabbed the hand that was holding her wrist.

So the mighty Sound Ninja could bleed. He wasn't immortal. He bled red.

Tenten was momentarily reminded of her thought process from earlier. This person was a person. He was one of those _people._

Her momentary distraction gave the Sound Nin an opportunity, and he capitalized on it.

Tenten was rocketed through the air and into the shack's door. She tumbled down the stairs, rolling here and there, fighting to gain balance.

She watched as the enemy ninja stepped down the stairs, drawing nearer to Tenten, and nearer to the mass of people that _she_ was supposed to protect.

Suddenly the Sound Ninja was next to her, feeling her burning, hateful gaze boring into him as Tenten struggled to stand.

He kicked her again.

She flew, past the curtain that had been put up to divide the chilly staircase from the torch-lit vault. She flew into a wall.

It shattered, behaving very unlike the thick slabs of stone that Tenten assumed them for.

The girl's eyes rolled back slightly as she fought the urge to slip into sweet, refreshing sleep.

She saw that behind the thin, false wall was a dark tunnel. Tenten knew what she had to do, and stood back onto her feet with no small effort. Her enemy was just now passing through the curtained doorframe.

Nobody was sleeping. Those that had been had rolled over and woken up, and those that hadn't been asleep were staring at either Tenten or the Sound Nin with wide, fearful eyes.

Tenten's tired eyes drifted to where Nana was being held close to her mother's body.

Tenten knew what she had to do. She had to fight.

"Everybo…" Tenten halted, hearing—and detesting—the weakness in her own voice. She cleared her throat, and tried again.

"Everybody out!" She demanded, and it didn't take long for everyone to travel into the darkness of the tunnel, with the aged mayor in the lead.

As the young Tenten impersonator, Nana, followed her mother into the tunnel, Tenten sr. slipped the young girl three pieces of paper.

Now she was ready.

Tenten stepped forward into the near-deserted room, eyes locked onto her opponent's.

She picked up the scroll that was in the middle of the room—the one labeled 'Nine'—and gingerly placed it into her pouch.

True, it wasn't her primary objective, but it _mattered. _

The girl tossed her two remaining scrolls on either side of the room.

Tenten lobbed a few kunai at her opponent, just enough to distract him, delaying the shinobi until her scrolls released, catching the sound Nin in the crossfire.

The brunette turned and ran into the tunnel herself, which had been lit as the mayor progressed into the darkness.

Three strategically placed explosive tags later; the tunnel was sealed off from where the villagers had entered. It was no longer accessible from the vault.

* * *

The tunnel let out at the bottom of the valley. Tenten was grateful for the moonlight, and the fresh air boosted the morale of the group rather well.

All the same, because of the bears that Gai had dropped down into the valley, and the predatory Sound Ninja looking for Tenten and the villagers, nobody was allowed outside.

The mayor was a great help.

With Tenten's head pounding, it was hard to manage a group of villagers. She was, at the end of the day, very young.

Despite the efforts of the mayor and several more mature citizens, the stress was wearing Tenten to the bone.

She poked her head out of the well-disguised entrance, breathing fresh air deeply. A bird flew down and landed atop Tenten's hand.

Desperation gave the brunette an idea. She scrawled a brief message onto a slip of blank paper, and tied it to the bird's leg.

"Konoha. Konoha. Konohagakure. Ko-noha." Tenten repeated the word, trying to imprint a destination into the creature's mind. She released the bird, and it flew away… in the direction opposite to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Tenten sighed.

She didn't know how long everyone would be down here.

She didn't know how long she would _survive._

It was unsettling.

As Tenten turned back to the horde of expectant villagers, a hand fell on her shoulder. Tenten wheeled around with a gasp. Had the Sound Nin found them already?

It was Neji.

* * *

**Wow guys. I hope this chapter wasn't too boring after the last one. **

**No big reveals here.**

**Oh well.**

**[MadMeijin- Haha, I'll try to keep things interesting, but I'll confess again that I don't really know what I'm doing. I'll keep feeling my way through, I guess. **

**In all honestly, I don't think I can keep Gai dead long, but we'll see. **

**Thanks for the vote of confidence, and the review!]**

**[Kokabiel- Wow, thanks! It's great to get feedback on how I did on a certain chapter; especially if there's one that you ****_don't _****like. **

**Well, we know that Neji's alive! Stay tuned to find out what happens next!**

**Thanks for the review!]**

**Review, and vote! I like you a lot, fanficfans. **


	19. Counter-measures

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! and badder than ever.

**Disclaimer: I hold none of the legal rights to Naruto, I'm only just writing for fun.**

* * *

The enemy ninja hadn't found them yet. That was a relief.

Tenten had timidly asked Neji how he had found her. When he informed her that she wasn't hard to find, she suffered a miniature panic attack. Neji cursed himself for being so stupid.

"It wasn't hard… with the Byakugan, I mean."

Neji had located the mass of people using his ocular jutsu, and found the entrance the same way.

He had woken up in a daze, and quickly registered his surroundings.

The bridge was cold against his cheek.

The air was stagnant and heavy, and the metallic smell of blood assaulted his nostrils.

A creaking sound caused Neji, who was pushing himself up to his feet, to turn sore eyes to a little building in the village behind him. Two holes in the woodwork gave Neji a small view of the gravel lane that ran parallel to the house.

Neji activated his Byakugan, and pushed it to its limits. Nobody seemed to be around; he didn`t see the eyes that had knocked him out to begin with, and couldn`t find Tenten or his teacher.

The only thing that Neji truly found curious was a wide patch where the gravel was soaked a deep crimson. The red stains seemed to taper off in the direction opposite Neji. Whatever had poured out so much blood was now gone.

Neji relayed how he had felt some powerful chakra, and retreated into the forest like a coward. From his hiding spot in the trees, he spotted Tenten`s group, and soon located the camouflaged entrance.

Neji saw Tenten's agitated face settle down into a mildly displeased grimace; the kind she wore when her shuriken missed their targets. Neji stayed with Tenten and traded a bit of information on the enemy. Neither Genin truly knew very much. The conversation eventually died down to a comfortable silence.

Neji watched the villagers, going about the business of trying to comfort each other, all the while watching him out of the corners of their eyes.

Neji sighed. They didn't deserve any of this; they weren't trained to handle a siege.

Siege.

Neji could have laughed at his own choice of words in any other circumstance. One Sound Ninja holding an entire village hostage, along with the three ninja that were assigned to protect it.

Neji wished he could do something to alleviate the pain that these villagers felt, but the enemy held what seemed to be a natural trump for the Byakugan.

This Sound Nin was using some sort of ocular genjutsu, like the attack that had rendered Kakashi useless in the fight against Itachi and Kisame.

Neji thought back to his final moments on the bridge. He had been peering through the trees when he saw the eyes—dark, sullen, and yet somehow irresistible.

Before Neji could even hope to get close enough to use his Gentle Fist techniques, or even just deactivate his Byakugan, the enemy had wiped him out.

It was _frustrating. _For a person who relied so heavily on his eyes to fight, he was rather lost without them; like a painter without hands.

Neji saw that he had become lost in his thoughts, and the brunette had eventually drifted off to a well-deserved sleep on the stone floor.

She was covered in dirt, sweat, and blood. Her face was slightly bruised, and she had a nasty bump coming up under her left cheek.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

Neji decided to leave the girl to rest, after throwing a borrowed blanket over her sleeping form.

He spoke with a few villagers, who told the story from their perspective. Tenten was a hero. Nana, the small girl who insisted that everyone call her by her self-appointed nickname, Tenten, was a hero.

The Byakugan wielder held a small conversation with the child, who couldn't seem to settle herself down to sleep. Nana was far too excited; she had seen (and helped) her hero in a '_real-live fight!_'

The little girl was far too cute, and for a moment Neji seriously considered giving her a kunai or some shuriken as some sort of initiation rite to ninja-hood.

The thought was strangely appealing—it seemed that teaching an ignorant pupil some incredible secret would be really fulfilling. Perhaps, Neji considered, _that_ was why Gai and Lee went around handing out replicas of their green suits.

He smiled at the thought.

Having spoken to just about everybody in the few hours that Tenten slept, Neji slumped down against the wall of the tunnel.

The Byakugan user spared a glance over at his teammate. She had rolled over. _Oh God. _Her top had become wedged between her body and the stone floor, and it was pulled up just enough to reveal a wide sliver of stomach.

Tight, sinewy muscles lay coiled under pale skin. Neji noticed how the porcelain colour was accented by a heavy purple where Gai had hit her.

Neji redirected his gaze away from his teammate—_anywhere _away from his teammate—until his roving eyes fell upon the mayor.

The older man was watching Neji, and gave the genin a knowing smile, and the Byakugan user looked away with a small blush.

Beside him, Tenten stirred slightly.

* * *

The weapons mistress opened her eyelids, and then clenched them shut again. Tenten regretted sleeping so close to the fire; it was too bright. The brunette peeled an unfamiliar blanket off.

Tenten righted herself against the wall, coming to a sitting position with her eyes still shut. Her bare shoulder brushed against Neji`s sleeve.

Neji seemed to jerk upwards, startled. Tenten peered through her eyelashes at him, registering his presence and mumbling an apology.

Tenten`s chocolate coloured eyes flitted around the tunnel, registering the sleeping—or at least sleepy—faces that belonged to exhausted villagers.

The brunette grimaced at the fact that she couldn`t see her sensei anywhere.

"Gai is still missing? How long was I asleep for?" Tenten asked, loosening her tightly wound vocal chords.

Neji couldn't know exactly how long Tenten had been out, of course, but he estimated a few hours.

"Maybe… three hours?"

Tenten gasped. "And Gai's not back yet?"

The Hyuga simply shook his head, obstinately refusing to let any fear or worry sneak into his stoic face.

Tenten rolled her eyes at her companion's blank mannerisms, and stood up on shaky legs. "Well, then, I'm going to go find him." She leaned against the wall for a moment, regaining some strength before heading towards the exit. Tenten's steps were confident, but it wasn't hard to see that she was putting an effort into walking without swaying like a drunk.

Across the room, a little girl's eyes lit up at the prospect of seeing her hero in action again.

Tenten's proposal had the opposite effect on Neji, and his mask of expressionlessness fell.

"No!" Neji said, a little too loudly.

Tenten wheeled around, startled by her teammate's outburst. The movement proved too much for her tired legs, and she began to stumble sideways.

Neji caught her, and pulled her close.

Tenten felt slightly awkward, leaning with her cheek against Neji's chest.

"Really, Neji, I'm fine… But none of us will be fine if Gai-sensei doesn't show up." Tenten wedged her palms up against Neji, and pushed away gently.

"And… and since when do you concern yourself with what _I _do?" Tenten spoke softly, as if to counteract Neji's eruption.

The Hyuga blustered like an idiot, and Tenten decided to put him out of his misery.

"It's fine, Neji… You don't have to explain anything to me. I understand, and I feel it too. Ga-"

Tenten was interrupted mid-sentence by a pair of lips meeting hers with an almost violent passion. Her eyes widened with surprise, but Tenten didn't pull away. Neji's hair spilled over her face as he kissed her, enveloping the pair of faces completely.

The two genin slumped back down onto the wall, flushed from their kiss.

After several false starts, Tenten finally managed to speak. "Neji, I can't…"

"You kissed back." Neji stated simply.

Tenten blushed deeply, and considered her own actions. Neji had been… _had been_ her first crush. When she was younger, the Hyuga seemed so powerful, so mysterious, and so _cool!_

As time passed, however, Neji's true nature had been revealed; he was cold and arrogant, and he had a mean streak. Despite being lumped together on the same team, Tenten grew away from her white eyed teammate.

Neji was cold. That was simply fact…

…but that kiss had been _hot._

Tenten didn't know what to think, and didn't know what to do. She glanced at Neji to see that he seemed largely unaffected by any feelings.

Typical Neji.

Nana wandered over to where the two ninja sat, holding her mother's hand. Moonlight began to spill into the tunnel through cracks in the vines, as night drew near its end.

For once, it was Shizuko who spoke first, rather than her daughter. "Is this the boyfriend that I've been hearing about?" The woman smiled warmly; blissful in her ignorance.

Neji bristled visably. He knew that he wasn't the boyfriend in question, and had apparently decided to let Tenten take this one on her own.

The weapon's mistress wasn't sure how to answer. Nana was frowning like only five year olds can; she was the absolute arbitrator of justice and morality; the right hand of God.

"No he's not. This is Neji-san, not eyebrows-kun."

The nickname caused Neji to lift his eyebrows curiously. Nana was pretty smart, to have connected the gravy drawing from earlier that day to Lee.

Tenten was less than impressed. She was angry with herself. Of course, she had no real obligations to Lee; they weren't dating.

The brunette knew, however, that she _did _have an obligation to be honest and to keep her word. She had told Nana that the next time she visited, she would bring her boyfriend.

Tenten shot up and ran for the entrance of the tunnel. She needed some space; some time to think. Self-disgust took a physical form in hot, bitter tears that rolled down her cheeks.

She had no sooner stepped out onto the ledge that separated the tunnel entrance from the floor of the valley when an arm wrapped around her midsection, binding her arms to her body.

Hot breath assaulted the back of Tenten's neck, as she found herself pinned against someone's chest for the second time that day.

A greedy hand reached for her kunai pouch. Her attacker rummaged around her belongings, ignoring her shouts.

Neji burst out of the tunnel, but it was someone else entirely who helped Tenten. The brunette heard a nightmarish crack from behind her, just as the attacker found what he was looking for.

Tenten found herself freed from the enemy's grip, and turned around to see the Sound Ninja holding an item.

Behind him, with a powerful hand half-embedded in the Otokagure citizen's crushed shoulder, was Maito Gai.

* * *

Neji watched as his lost-and-found sensei kicked the enemy's hand, sending the scroll he held flying. Tenten caught it, and the Hyuga saw that it was the curious old scroll that had been in the vault.

Gai was coated in chakra…. No, Neji corrected himself, it wasn't chakra at all. Gai was sweating a green liquid, which was evaporating. Gai was coated in his own body heat.

Neji placed a calming hand on Tenten's shoulder, and shot her a look that said that they would only be in the way. The girl didn't need much convincing; one look at Gai's body told her that this fight was lightyears above their level.

Gai was shaking with fury and explosive power.

Gai was covered in blood, and dripping the red liquid from three wounds. Neji smirked when he saw what Gai had done. Perhaps the Sound Nin had a way to trump the Byakugan, but Gai had found a way to counteract the ocular genjutsu.

The taijutsu master had inflicted two of three wounds upon himself.

He had cut out his own eyes.

And now it was time for round two.

* * *

**Hhhahahaha, I told you I couldn't leave Gai dead. **

**I had planned to have him Dynamic Exit out of his casket after fighting through heaven and hell for a second chance or something like that, but it would have taken too long and derailed the plot.**

**ANYWAY! Sorry I haven't updated in a week, but I was out of province to bury my old man. **

**REVIEWS! you guys are the best. **

**[Raistlin99- Still don't know how I'm going to heal him, but he wasn't out of chakra to begin with. Apart from the second gate, do any of them heal? I dunno. **

**Yup, Sound-chan is Lee's dad. Like you say, we don't know who Lee's canon father is, but most people I talk to assume he's an orphan. Writing up an OC seemed like fair play.**

**Thanks for the review, d00d.]**

**[JuneGilbertVivianRaeven- Your penname is incredibly long. **

**Threw lots of NejiTen into this chapter! The poll seems to be leaning towards LeeTen though. **

**It was sad to think of Lee without his bowlcut, but I think he'd look like a monk or something. Totally badass. **

**Gai's back! He's back, and badder than ever! w00t! I don't know if he'll survive the next chapter, what with being blind and all, but he's here for now! If Gai does kick the bucket, we're going to have a very angsty Lee on our hands. **

**The Sound Ninja ****_is_**** Lee's father. Talk about a deadbeat dad, huh?**

**Anyway, thanks for the reviews, and for calling my fic awesome.]**

**[ 29- Wut? Sorry, I don't understand.]**

**[aserora- As promised, an update on Friday. Well, I hope your curiosity is satisfied until tomorrow! I'll try to get back to banging out a chapter a day. **

**Thanks for the review!]**

**[Kokabiel- Sorry bro, I didn't have my computer with me on our road trip. In hindsight, I guess I could have posted a hiatus note. Anyway, I'll try to get back into this story 110%.**

**Thanks for reviewing!]**

**Five reviewers! Man, you're all great. **

**I'll cut this authors note off here before it gets longer than the chapter itself. **

** ▲  
▲ ▲ wut**


	20. Tree

Update. I couldn't get into my Manage Stories page to upload this yesterday. Sorry.

**Disclaimer: Please direct your litigation proceedings elsewhere, I am an innocent man. I also don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Rock Lee walked through the training grounds that Team Kurenai frequented.

He was walking with confidence; taking long, measured strides.

Sakura kept his pace, walking beside him. The two chatted about… well, not much. Sakura was recounting a story of a strange patient that had visited the hospital after being ambushed some way from Konoha, pausing only when Lee cut in with a sharp peal of laughter.

Sakura had finally acquiesced to going on the date she had promised Lee, just as long as both ninja knew that it wasn't a real date. To further solidify their rendezvous' position in the category of 'non-date date', Sakura had insisted that another friend accompany them on their walk.

That was fine with Lee; he had another self-made mission to accomplish. He was going to follow through with his promise to give Hinata some confidence.

The two more energetic Genin walked a half-step ahead of Hinata, both sparing glances at their other companion.

Hinata had agreed to come along, after a bit of pleading on Lee's part.

In hindsight, it probably would have been best to avoid bursting into the Hyuga mansion and declaring that he had something to give the dark-haired girl. The taijutsu specialist had mysteriously added that they would have to go somewhere else first, though.

Hinata had been put on the spot by Lee's antics. Neji was used to Lee's outbursts, but Hinata wasn't familiar enough with the boy to know how to act.

Once Lee had explained that he only just wanted to go for a walk, Hinata finally agreed to go. She asked her father, Hiashi, for permission, and it was granted.

Lee had felt rather awkward under the Hyuga clan leader's judging gaze, and was relieved when Hiashi finally gave the OK.

A comfortable silence descended on the three Leaf Genin as they walked towards the collection of wooden pillars that adorned nearly every training field. Sakura had finished her story; apparently the patient had been an Otokagure spy who had simply _faked_ his injuries to gather information.

The trio stopped to lean on the training pillars. They agreed to slip off their sandals and enjoy the dewy grass underfoot.

Lee thought back to Hiashi's penetrating glare. If the Byakugan was anything at all, it was intimidating. A mask of blank whiteness; it saw everything without revealing anything itself.

But Hiashi… His look would stay printed into Lee's memory for some time.

Lee was too inexperienced in the game that would consume the next few years of his life to recognize Hiashi's glare for what it was; the gaze of a protective father sizing up a potential suitor for his daughter.

* * *

Sakura welcomed the cool moisture of the morning dew on her feet. The previous night had been a long one for everybody involved with Lee's wellbeing. The boy had to test his limits with Kakashi's latest seal.

His power was back, and that was enough to put the spring back into Lee's step.

Of course, his regular taijutsu was slowed, but he could _do_ taijutsu. That had always been enough for Lee.

When Lee was prompted to open some of the gates, he did so without difficulty. When Lee got up to the third gate, however, Kakashi's bored visage was replaced with a concerned one, and he informed Lee that opening any gate higher than the third would damage his seal.

Kakashi had promised that he would find a way to restore Lee's power, and Lee put his faith in the older man.

The three Genin had found their way into a forested section of the training grounds. They had no real destination in mind, and were simply wandering around more secluded parts of Konoha.

Time passed. Hinata had finally mustered the courage to pull up to her peers, and the ninja were playfully debating the merits of using kunai over shuriken.

"But Lee," Sakura giggled, "You can't _stab_ someone with shuriken."

"I've seen Tenten do it." Lee responded, with an overly serious air about him.

Sakura didn't respond. Lee had mentioned Tenten quite often over the course of their morning walk. Didn't he know that it was rude to mention other females during a date?

Sakura almost choked on her breath as she came to the terms with the fact that _she_ had just called their friendly outing a _date._

Lee didn't press the weaponry issue, and the air hung tense and stagnant between the two ninja.

Hinata changed that with a burst of musical laughter. The thought of Tenten, the walking armoury, popping out from behind a bush and assaulting someone with shuriken was just too funny.

Sakura joined in with her friend's laughter, and before long the sound of three ninja laughing hysterically rang around the trees.

* * *

The first ninja to have begun laughing was also the first to stop. Hinata looked up through the leafy canopy that lay above the Genin to see a small flock of birds. The little creatures had made homes atop the branches of one particularly large oak, and were fluttering about happily.

The dark-haired girl's gaze fell to the tree itself, and she smiled.

Hinata's companions had finally settled from their laughter, and were watching their friend curiously. Hinata had stepped away from the group. They watched for what must have been several minutes, as the Hyuga ran delicate fingers down the trunk of the tree.

The shy girl seemed to truly love the tree, and her friends began to feel a little awkward; it was as if they were intruding on a private, intimate moment.

Sakura and Lee were just about to pull away from the tree to give Hinata some privacy, when she spoke.

"I-I thought that this section of forest l-looked familiar. T-this is m-my favorite tree."

Sakura smiled sweetly, glad to see her friend so happy. The tree itself was huge, ancient-looking, and covered in moss.

In short; it held all the key characteristics that a relaxing hideaway should.

"I s-sometimes come here when I'm feeling bad, and Tree-san helps me." Hinata seemed to be pulling confidence from the tree like it was chakra. She wasn't even stuttering.

Sakura was slightly jealous.

Hinata had an entire section of forest to herself, where she could come to wind down. All Sakura had to rely on was the stress of Tsunade's training to lean on after a tough mission or emotionally draining day.

Of course, Sakura reminded herself, training under the Fifth Hokage was a privilege and an honour like no other.

Lee's loud voice seemed to rupture the slice of utopia that had formed under the oak's steadfast boughs. "W-wow! So cool, Hinata! I asked you to come along so that I could give _you_ a gift, but you've given me a view of this youthful tree instead!"

Hinata didn't seem to mind the volume, and sat down atop one of the tree's thick roots.

"And what _did_ you want to give me, Lee-kun?" Hinata asked, looking like the dignified, regal heiress that she was supposed to be.

The taijutsu specialist smiled, and reached into his kunai pouch.

"There exists something so powerful… something so absolutely youthful… that it is said to accelerate its user's ninja level to that above the Kage."

Sakura smirked at Lee's dramatic introduction, and Hinata simply looked on with interest.

With a blindingly white smile, Lee pulled out a green roll from his pouch and held it out in his fist.

Sakura's face fell. No. He _couldn't have_…

….But he had. Lee loosened his grip on the roll, and the green fabric unfurled to reveal a carbon copy of his own spandex suit.

Hinata tried desperately to contain her laughter.

Her endevours failed a moment later, when a small bird perched on Rock Lee's head.

Lee grinned widely. "It's also guaranteed to increase your connection with natu—"

The taijutsu specialist's grin faded when the bird dropped a load of digested food onto his head.

Hinata's laughter finally won out, and she giggled while she got to her feet to wipe the stream of liquid stool that was dripping dangerously close to Lee's left eyebrow.

Sakura was laughing as well, and eventually Lee joined in.

"I guess nature," Sakura giggled, "wanted to send a message."

In reality, it had. The bird hadn't yet flown away, and Hinata looked at it closely for the first time. "M-messenger bird!"

The little avian had a note tied to its leg.

* * *

_Konoha;_

_Team Gai (Maito Gai, Hyuga Neji, Tenten) is in need of assistance. Anti-genjutsu specialists preferred. Please help!_

The note included the name and coordinates of the village that Gai and his students had been sent. Lee didn't need to look at all, he had already memorized everything he needed to about his team's mission.

Tenten's name was quickly signed at the bottom of the note. Lee grimaced; anything that could make Tenten negate her usually precise penmanship had to be serious business. Tenten's cry for help was modest, but if the stubborn girl was calling for help at all…

"Excuse me, girls. I've got somewhere I need to be." Lee stammered, and ran off in a dead sprint.

He had to have his power back, at any cost.

He had to find Kakashi.

* * *

**Welp. There it is, guys. Lee again. **

**It would seem that Lee will soon be re-united with his teammates. **

**Shit, anyway, so I couldn't get into my upload page yesterday. Talk about bad timing, my last author's note was all promises about a chapter a day. Sorry guys and girls. **

**[JuneGilbertVivianRaeven- I guess desperate times call for desperate measurements, or however that phrase is supposed to be said. **

**Glad you liked the NejiTen. I'm trying to leave exit routes for every possible pairing within this story, so that if I do get ten votes for some other couple, I can give one of Lee's admirers to another shinobi.**

**Who, if not Tenten, would you like to see Neji with?**

**Anyway, thanks for the review. Update your stories today!]**

**[MadMeijin- Gawd, it took me ****_hours_**** to get that pun, but I truly did laugh out loud. But yeah, our friend the sound nin looks like he's toast.**

**Gai is indeed Lee's father, even if not by blood. I'd kind of like to write a story someday where Lee finds out that Gai ****_is_**** his biological father. **

**So, maybe Lee should keep his hair shaved? **

**Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed your review.]**

**Vote, guys. Poll's on my profile. **


	21. Bingo

Update!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto at all.**

* * *

As Lee raced through Konoha in search of Kakashi, rationality eventually won the war with raw emotion.

Lee decided to do things by the book, and veered to head to the Hokage Tower. Messenger birds were usually very concise and efficient where deliveries were concerned, but there were some cases of strays.

The standard procedure for a ninja who had received someone else's message was to deliver the note to one of the Hokage's assistants. The message would eventually reach the Hokage's desk.

Lee planned to take this one up personally.

As a lowly Genin, Lee wasn't exactly guaranteed audience with Tsunade. The Fire Shadow was constantly busy with one matter or another, and it was no secret that she spent her spare hours with a sake bottle for a friend.

Lee could only hope that he didn't catch Tsunade drunk, or worse; hung over.

The boy finally reached the door of the Hokage Mansion. He felt sluggish; although he was _still _faster than most of his peers, Kakashi's seal had placed him in a position where he could put all of his effort into running and get no results.

It wasn't very youthful at all.

The boy shook his secondary concerns from his mind, and pushed through the heavy wooden door. He was slightly ashamed to have prioritized his training above the well-being of his teammates, but dismissed the thought.

Lee had decided that he would need to speak very forwardly with the Hokage; he knew that he would have to be incredibly clear with Tsunade, regardless of her blood alcohol content.

He had just gotten out of the infirmary, and he knew that the Hokage wouldn't send him off too readily.

It would take some convincing, but Lee knew that he was a charming guy.

Inside the building, Shizune was bustling around the lobby, which she seemed to have commandeered. The dark-haired girl glanced up at the sound of the door, with a tired face.

Lee was immediately daunted by Shizune's appearance. If the spry, young assistant was like _this,_ then the considerably older Hokage was…

Shizune confirmed his fears with a put-on smile. "Hello, Lee-kun. How may I hel—"

"I need to find Tsunade-sama." Lee interrupted, regretting the breech of manners immediately. "S-sorry, Shizune-san." Lee said, bowing twice.

"That's okay, Lee." Shizune replied, smiling at his politesse. Her countenance darkened again a moment later: "I'm afraid that Tsunade is… otherwise disposed at the moment."

Lee nodded, not wanting to press the issue. Shizune seemed stressed enough.

"I've got this note. I found it a little while ago, strapped to a stray messenger bird." Lee waved the slip of paper around, before handing it to the Hokage's assistant.

Shizune's dark eyes flitted over the paper, and she grimaced.

"I'm afraid I don't have the clearance to put together a rescue team…" Seeing Lee's crestfallen face, Shizune pulled up a compromise. "But I _can_ call up the ninja that I'm sure Tsunade would send."

Lee grinned widely, throwing up his 'nice guy' pose for good measure. "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Shizune-sama."

* * *

Tsunade allowed her glass to hover over her desk for a moment. A thick ring of moisture had pooled where the glass had been set, and the Hokage was thankful for the waterproof finish that had been applied to the sturdy piece of craftsmanship.

It was quite a desk.

Tsunade was the fifth to fill it, and had to carry all the responsibilities that came with the territory. The Fifth Hokage considered, very briefly, whether she was living up to the four brilliant shinobi who had sat behind this desk in times past.

She wandered if she was living up to the legacy of her grandfather.

The Godaime Hokage leaned back into her chair, and let the pale contents of her glass spill into her throat. The alcohol—some foreign wine from the Land of Glaciers—burnt her throat, and brought tears to her eyes.

Tsunade wiped the moisture from her tightly clenched eyes, and cursed when she opened them again.

Her golden-brown eyes had found their way to _that_ picture again.

Of course.

All of her drinking sessions as of late had been unpleasant.

Tsunade wasn't usually one to drink her sorrow away; but then she never seemed to need an excuse to get hammered.

Recently, however…

The Godaime leaned forward to retrieve the framed photograph from the corner of her desk. Three young Genin stared back at her from behind framed glass.

They were the three young Genin who would grow into splendid Ninja.

They were the three young Genin who would grow to become the Legendary Sannin.

Tsunade let her thumb glide over Jiraiya's two-dimensional cheek, with tears streaming down her face that were hotter than the alcohol had been.

And then Shizune stepped in, with pressing matters stamped into a stack of documents.

It was time to be brave. It was _now_, at times like this, that Tsunade knew she could make her Grandfather believe in her, the same way the entire population of Konoha believed in her.

She would give them something to believe in.

Tsunade wiped her tears discreetly, filled with hope and wine.

"Hello, Shizune," the Hokage greeted, hating the slur in her voice.

"Tsunade-sama." Shizune replied, still slightly embarrassed by her master's drunkenness.

The Hokage noticed the little note that was placed on top of the pile of paperwork, and raised a questioning eyebrow. Tsunade snatched the paper before Shizune could even set the stack down.

"And what's this?"

Shizune didn't answer, choosing instead to let Tsunade read the note for herself. Golden eyes searched the paper, taking longer to read it in her drunken state.

Tsunade's grimace deepened. Fewer and fewer missions had been accepted by Konohagakure as of late; with the very real threat that Otogakure presented, ninja had to stay to protect their home.

The gears began to whir within Tsunade's highly-tactical mind.

Shizune must have noticed. "I've already prepared a team. All you have to do is give the go-ahead." The assistant stated, sliding another, more official looking paper which held a list of names.

Tsunade slid a slender finger down the list, skimming through the miniature biographies of the selected ninja.

Two of the names listed belonged to Yuri Kurenai and Hatake Kakashi. Kurenai was a very logical choice; she _was_ the local genjutsu expert.

Tsunade informed her assistant that Kakashi was recovering from a chakra drain.

Beneath the names of those Jounin lay two more. They were Haruno Sakura and Kato Shizune.

Shizune explained: "Whatever caused Tenten-san to ignore protocol and send this message in place of her sensei, it must be serious enough to warrant a skilled medi-nin.

Tsunade nodded. "I need you here; Sakura can go. Kakashi can be replaced by… Asuma." With a few confident penstrokes, the list had been revised.

The Hokage's Seal of Approval stopped in its arc a mere inch from the paper.

Tsunade twitched.

Rock Lee's name had been written in the bottom right corner, in a distinctly different script. Tsunade directed a searing gaze at her assistant.

"He was adamant. I'm sorry, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade grinned peacefully, and stood on wobbly legs. The alcohol still hadn't worn off, it seemed.

"We'll just have to go talk to Lee-kun about it, won't we?"

* * *

Rock Lee was waiting patiently. He tightened his grip on the arm of the couch he was sitting on, and wished he could be as cool as the leather furniture.

Tsunade eventually descended down the flight of steps that led to higher floors. Golden eyes locked with black ones.

Lee gulped.

Sakura grimaced.

Kakashi grinned.

"Lee!" Tsunade stormed over to where the boy sat. "Have you been bullying my assistant!?"

The taijutsu specialist leaned back into the leather couch, petrified.

"You can't go on any missions in your state!" Tsunade had leaned forward, and was hovering mere inches from Lee's face. "You aren't at full capacity! I can't believe that an honest boy like you would try to trick your _Hokage_ into…"

"Tsunade-sama." A new voice interrupted the Fire Shadow's rant.

Tsunade wheeled around to face Kakashi. "What is it!?"

Kakashi's face was drawn into a sickly sweet smile. "Lee didn't sign his name onto your paper, I did. He will be a valuable asset."

"Yes, but an asset that I would rather have stay in Konoha for the time being." Tsunade stood defiantly before the copy-cat nin, daring Kakashi to make a move.

The silver-haired Jounin laid his cards on the table.

"I've known Maito Gai for…" Kakashi briefly considered. "…quite some time now. If his student had to send for help, then he is in _serious_ danger."

Kakashi cleared his throat, preparing to wade through a sensitive subject.

"Given Lee's relationship with his teacher, I had imagined that you were willing to show some lenience."

Lee watched, still terrified, as Tsunade's demeanor softened slightly. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. I cannot allow either of you to go." With a flare of her hand, the Hokage sent a low-level assistant to find Asuma.

"As you wish, Hokage-sama."

* * *

Tsunade decided to see this team of shinobi to the gates of Konoha personally. Kakashi had given up far too easily.

Asuma finally arrived at the Hokage Tower. The rejected ninja had already left.

Five ninja walked down to the Konoha Gates. Tsunade, Shizune, Asuma, Kurenai, and Sakura walked in silence.

As expected, Kakashi and Lee were waiting by the village gates. Unexpected, however, was the fact that both men seemed unsurprised to see the Hokage accompanying the team that they couldn't join.

"Hokage-dono," Kakashi cried when the party drew near, "Please allow us to go to help Team Gai!"

Tsunade responded in an almost lazy, bored tone. "If either of you so much as steps outside these gates, you will be recorded in the Bingo Book and marked a Missing Nin."

"No! Anything but that! Terrible!" Kakashi voiced his displeasure at a volume that would have made _Gai _jealous. The white-haired shinobi began to race around Tsunade, looking increasingly like a chicken with its head cut off.

Lee was calmer. He simply stood there, without movement.

Tsunade wheeled around to slam a firm fist into Kakashi's gut. The Jounin winced, and keeled over onto his knees.

As the Hokage turned back to gaze at the world beyond Konoha's gates, she noticed that Lee was gone.

Shizune was trying to help Kakashi up, blushing like a schoolgirl all the while.

Tsunade's voice was hard and cold; a perfect match for her next words.

"Shizune-san. Retrieve the Bingo Book."

* * *

**But why, Tsunade?**

**Oh well! Review! vote! I love you all!**

**Also; LeeSaku is literally ****_one_**** vote away from a tie with LeeTen. If you want to see it happen, make it happen!**

**[Dominater461- Haha, glad you liked it. Trying to insert a little bit of comic relief here and there, but not too much. **

**Thanks for the review, bro.]**

**[Raistlin99- Yeah, I can't imagine Gai's pain at the moment. He's tough, that's for sure. I've tried to write him to show that he has nothing to lose, and is fighting desperately. **

**I kinda feel bad for Tenten. All that male attention. **

**Hey, no problem there. Lee can move faster than time when he wants to. ;)]**

**VOOTE! REVIIEIW!**


	22. Heart

Apdata, Epdete, Ipditi, opdoto, updutu. It's an update!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I only own my own plot.**

* * *

Maito Gai adopted a low, defensive stance. He found it surprisingly difficult to keep his center of balance aligned with the balls of his feet.

His lack of sight had definitely impaired his perception of his own body.

Gai had focused mass amounts of highly concentrated chakra to his ears. He could sense movement around him, and let his natural reflexes do the rest.

The enemy had led him into the forest. Admittedly, following the Sound Ninja into unfamiliar, unmapped territory hadn't been _brilliant,_ but letting the man escape—or worse; regroup—was out of the question.

Birds chirped. Crickets buzzed. Toads croaked. Those were the only sounds that most ninja would have picked up on, but with chakra-coated eardrums…

Gai could hear more than just the chirping of the bird, he could hear the rustling of feathers.

While most might only have heard the musical sounds that the crickets created, Gai could hear the blades of grass bending beneath tiny feet.

Gai heard the toads' throats expanding.

The feeling was rather strange. Gai had, of course, always relied on all of his senses in combat. With his blindness tipping the scale against using sight, he felt like a three-legged dog.

The throbbing pain that threatened to tear his mind into small, jagged pieces was not exactly encouraging, either.

Gai leaned backwards, moving his head a few inches. Gai frowned, displeased with his own lack of ability. A kunai had lodged itself in the trunk of the tree to his right.

The sleeve of his spandex uniform—his makeshift blindfold and bandage that had been tied tightly around his head—was pinned between the steel and wood.

Gai hunched forward at the waist, ducking and tearing the green material from the tree. This movement had been more fluid, more planned.

The tree splintered as a foot collided with it. The Sound Ninja had attempted to land a flying kick.

Gai grinned, and twisted to grasp an ankle. With the practiced agility that could only have come from years of training, Gai jabbed his fist into the underside of his opponent's thigh.

Gai used the basic technique that he had taught all of his students: put everything you have into each and every strike.

The taijutsu master had hoped to break bone, or at least cause some cramping by hitting the muscle a certain way.

No such luck. The Sound Nin kicked off of the ground, and spun his body midair in order to launch his free foot at Gai's face.

Gai stopped the blow from connecting with an open palm. He had twisted too far past natural capabilities to be very mobile, and decided that he needed to put some space between himself and his foe.

A strong, chakra-laced push later, the enemy ninja had soared a fair distance away. Gai stood up and re-assumed a naturally defensive stance.

Gai reached up to massage his ears—the louder sounds, like his enemy's kick, were rather painful.

He expected the Sound Ninja to begin a new torrent of blows any moment, and sure enough, a faint whistling sound ruptured the relative peace of the forest. Air was being parted gracefully by a kunai's blade.

Gai flipped backwards to avoid the thing, and backwards again when another was thrown.

Even with the Gate of Wonder open, this _unyouthful_ enemy was faster than Gai. His speed lacked any refinement, however, and Gai capitalized on every opportunity his superior technique afforded him.

What could have granted such speeds?

Gai wasn't exactly an expert on food pills, but he assumed that this _wasn't_ one. If it was, then Otogakure was leaps ahead of Konoha where alchemy was concerned.

Gai felt a disturbance in the air around him. The enemy was near. Gai barely registered his opponent's powerful fist approaching, and only just managed to redirect a punch that was far too fast to stop.

Sending the Sound Nin's fist flying to the right of Gai's body had been a wise choice. The enemy's body weight followed with him, and the taijutsu master drove a knee upwards and into exposed ribs.

This, apparently, was enough to slow the enemy down.

The Sound Ninja slumped limply across Gai's raised kneecap. His breath had been forced out of his lungs, and now came in short, sporadic gasps.

Maito Gai brought his elbow down on his opponent's spine. It collapsed into itself with a crunch that was sickening, and yet satisfying.

Gai wasn't finished.

His most acute sense was filled with the sound of flesh being pounded, organs being displaced, and bones shattering. Blood seeped from wounds that had opened up due to the mere friction of each of Gai's strikes.

Eventually, Gai felt that beating his enemy's back was not enough, and he threw the damaged body at a nearby tree.

The Sound Nin had no sooner hit the bark of the stout oak when Gai appeared in front of him, pinning him against the wood with a powerful forearm.

The metallic smell of blood assaulted the taijutsu master's nose. The scent was apparently too much for the frogs and crickets and birds—the animals had deemed Gai a predator, and had fled.

Gai truly was alone with his opponent.

And he wasn't done. Not yet.

The sound of laboured breathing filled Gai's senses. The Jounin cranked back his free hand, but opted to keep his palm open, rather than ball his hand into a fist. Gai pointed the hand so that the tips of his fingers faced his enemy.

Gai's whole body was shaking with rage, pain, and the coiling of both his physical muscles and his chakra. When the taijutsu specialist was satisfied with the feeling of raw power that lay beneath his skin, he allowed the hand to travel forward.

Gai stumbled forward, incapable of _truly_ harnessing the power behind such a blow. His sweat-covered forehead grazed his opponent's.

At this proximity, the sound of his enemy's screaming was nearly unbearable. Gai bit down on his tongue to keep from screaming himself; the combined pain from his ears and vacant eye sockets would have made a weaker man vomit.

Gai knew that his current predicament was no laughing matter, but noted with grim satisfaction that the enemy ninja was in worse shape.

If the green beast of Konoha had had eyes, he would have looked down to see his hand embedded in his rival's belly, grasping for intestines and pulling them through the opening that he had made.

If the green beast of Konoha had had eyes, he probably would have looked into the dark orbs of his enemy and watched as they faded off into the afterlife.

If the green beast of Konoha had had eyes, the sight would probably have made him sick, despite having seen a fair share of blood over his career.

Without eyes, Gai opted, once more, to rely on his hearing. The taijutsu master spoke to the man who claimed to be Lee's father.

"What is the name of the man who I am killing?" Gai's voice spilled from his mouth softly.

"I'm Nakagawa Kenta…"

Gai could tell, even with the chakra changing how he perceived sound waves that the enemy… that Kenta… wasn't speaking with the crushed voice of a man who had been defeated. He didn't sound at all like someone with a torn lung that was filling with blood at an alarming rate.

"…And you're a fool. My power is not limited to ocular genjutsu."

The teasing, condescending tone in Kenta's voice was enough to make Gai's blood boil. The genjutsu was released, and the taijutsu master found that he had simply been smashing a tree; the same tree that had been stained with Kenta's blood while on another plane of existence.

Gai turned to listen to the forest. His opponent's voice had come through the trees as he released the illusion.

Gai had turned a moment too late.

Nakagawa Kenta was now upon Gai, forcing him back into the splintered tree that he had mistakenly assaulted.

Before Gai could initiate any countermeasures, the enemy ninja struck out with a two-finger jab to the throat.

Gai's hands instinctively rushed to protect his throat against future attacks. It was a vulnerable place, and hitting it almost always lead to death, or at least serious discomfort.

But Kenta was not aiming for the throat this time around. Gai felt the air heat up slightly, and heard a whirring sound.

No, it couldn't be.

Gai reconsidered; the attack didn't take much skill at all, only just power. This opponent had plenty of power. If he was going to do _that…_

The Jounin began pumping chakra to his heart at a rate that could only be called desperate.

Kenta was collecting chakra into the confines of his arm muscles. His palm was cranked back and pointing towards Gai's torso, ready to surge forward.

"Eighth Gate of Death," Gai all but screamed, beginning to force chakra through his blood-pumping organ," Ope—"

He didn't manage to open the final, fatal chakra gate. Blood trickled from the corner of Gai's mouth. His reduced hearing capabilities—chakra had been borrowed from the eardrums—registered three simple truths:

He was out of danger.

Something had just broken the sound barrier with a single attack, sending Nakagawa Kenta flying upwards.

The name of the taijutsu attack that had ended the conflict between Gai and Kenta had been shouted. The corners of Gai's bloody, cracked lips turned upwards with familiar recognition.

The attack used was one called 'Dynamic Entry.'

Maito Gai's tired body slumped against the splintered oak, tottering to the right and eventually falling to a cool resting place in the undergrowth. Twigs scratched at his face on his way down, but Gai didn't seem to mind.

He used the last bit of strength in him to stretch a hand forward and feel the woolen material wrapped around his savior's calve.

Gai's smile couldn't have been any bigger as he drifted off to a peaceful sleep; he was sure that the fabric was coloured a vibrant orange.

* * *

**WHO COULD IT BE? Haha, you guys already know.**

**Review and vote, please.**

**Woah, and sorry for the bit of gore in this chapter. It needed to be done, I tell you!**

**[Raistlin99- Haha, writing Kakashi so far out of character is fun. I truly believe that he'd do anything for his friends, though. Even looking like an idiot. ;)]**


	23. Raindrop

Well, here we are. Lovers reunited. Author and reader. I love you, each and every one of you. Kiss me, fanficfan-chan.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

The unique sound of rubber soles striking stone echoed around the hallway, in tune with the rhythm of Kakashi's steps. Tsunade walked ahead of him, travelling at an angry, quick, pace.

Clink, clink, clink. The sound of the chains colliding together added some melody to the melancholy percussion of footsteps on stone.

The silver haired Jounin flexed his hands, feeling the steel clamps press against his wrists. The binds were a formality—Easy enough to slip off or even break, if you knew what you were doing.

_Real_ prisoners, _real _threats were given chakra seals, or their equivalent; anything that would render them harmless.

Where his fellow Konohagakure citizens were concerned, Kakashi _was_ harmless.

Konoha's top brass didn't always see things from the people's perspective, however. It worried Kakashi, even if that fear didn't show on his face.

The hallway was nearly bare. The dulled pastel wallpaper was broken up by thin, symmetrical doors.

What kind of maniac designed this place? Wallpaper and concrete flooring? It clashed with _every single building_ in Konoha!

Kakashi sighed, and watched as Tsunade bristled at the sound. He had been spending too much time around Sakura if he was noticing _colour schemes, _especially at a time like this.

When this all blew over, he would spend some time restoring that testosterone. Kakashi smirked. It was about time to blow the dust off of the first book in the Icha Icha series.

Tsunade stepped through one of the white-trimmed doorways and into a poorly lit room.

The little bit of sunlight that broke through the small basement windows cast both shadows and beams of light into the room.

Kakashi blew idly at the dust particles that were illuminated by one such lightbeam.

The key was to play it cool.

"Hatake Kakashi. Welcome."

Funny, he didn't feel welcome. Kakashi sat down uncomfortably on what was a fairly comfortable chair, with his cuffed hands pulled behind him.

"Good morning, Shimura-sama." Kakashi smiled politely.

Shimura Danzo was not to be won over so easily, and replied with a stone-faced glare. Tsunade stepped over and behind a desk to take the Hokage's seat.

It was a bit of an honour, Kakashi mused, for the Konoha Council to have to gather because of his actions. Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane peered down at him with something like a curious light in their dim eyes.

Nobody spoke for several minutes. A cloud broke up somewhere outside, and new beams of light filtered into the room. One shone across Kakashi's face, bathing his right side in light and darkening his left.

The Jounin tried to flick his stiff hair into a position where it would keep some of the light out of his eye.

"Stop doing that." Tsunade said, and Kakashi complied. Another cloud rolled in a moment later, and Kakashi was wrapped in shadows once more.

Shadows of the past. Even Tsunade wasn't half as young as she looked. It was time to put some faith in the next generation. Young ninja like Naruto would lead Konoha into the future, not ancient relics of a time where strict militant governments were needed to survive.

It was time to let young men like Rock Lee take all the risks he could handle.

"May we begin?" Kakashi asked, with his resolve steeled.

Tsunade nodded, and spoke. "One day you may very well become Hokage. You will have the privilege… the responsibility of sending ninja to their deaths." Tsunade paused, and pinched the bridge of her nose with stress. "Until then, I ask that you refrain from sending children to die."

"I believe that Rock Lee will survive his battle."

"That's not the point, Kakashi! No matter what happens, nothing changes the fact that you usurped my authority! Is that what you'd like to see!? Just any Genin can order anythi—"Just how much trust do you put in Rock Lee's ability to survive?"

Kakashi redirected his gaze at Utatane. The Third Hokage's female teammate had posed the question.

Kakashi responded with as much of a level tone as he could. "Lee's taijutsu is more potent, right at this moment, than any ninja before him, including Maito Gai's.

"You misunderstand." Mitokado spoke. "Nobody asked you how powerful the boy is. We know." The old man shot a glance at Danzo; the head of Root was, as always, a fountain of information.

Kakashi understood what they wanted. What _Danzo_ wanted. "I trust Lee with my life. If he doesn't return, my life—and my eye—is yours." "If not, then Lee and I are acquitted of all charges."

Tsunade slumped into the desk a little. She dropped the regal, holier-than-thou demeanor for a moment, and her eyes shone with compassion. "You don't have to go that far, Kakashi."

Kakashi smiled, and stood. "With your permission, Hokage-sama, I'd like to make this decision for myself."

Tsunade scoffed. "As you wish." It took guts to cut deals with the Hokage and Konoha Council. Tsunade could appreciate a gutsy ninja.

Kakashi let his chains rattle slightly, and asked if he was dismissed.

Tsunade gestured, and Shizune appeared from behind a door that Kakashi hadn't noticed. She unlocked his cuffs with a small key, and took the metal clasps while the Jounin massaged the circulation back into his wrists.

"Unfortunatly, you've proven that you cannot be trusted alone. You will have to be closely monitored, Hatake Kakashi." Shizune flustered a little behind Kakashi. "I've asked Shizune-san to keep an eye on you."

Kakashi twisted slightly to smile at the Hokage's assistant. She smiled back, rather apologetically.

"Well, Shizune, it looks like we'll be spending some time together."

* * *

Who did they think they were fooling?

Sakura watched Kurenai and Asuma make doe eyes at each other every chance they got. They were in love. It wasn't Sakura's business, as she was well aware, but she wondered why they didn't want to go public with their relationship.

Maybe Kurenai was saving herself from the embarrassment and heartache of seeing Asuma leave to receive training at the cold, dead hands of Orochimaru…

…And maybe Sakura was just bitter. The pink-haired girl swung downwards to a lower bough, and scooped an apple off of a nearby tree. She bit into the fruit, preferring its taste to the thoughts of Sasuke.

Kurenai looked over at Sakura, who had climbed back up to the same level of branches. Just as the genjutsu specialist was about to warn of the dangers of choking, Asuma pulled her into himself.

She had been about to collide with the trunk of a tree. The young Sarutobi had saved her from embarrassment, if not outright pain. The two took the time to nuzzle into each other without losing any speed.

Sakura, who was now the last thing on Kurenai's mind, laughed a little. A small stream of her apple's juices trickled from the corner of her mouth, and she wiped herself with a thumb.

Being in love looked like fun.

Having a special person who's name was engraved in your heart, and knowing that that person loved you just as much… Sakura blushed slightly at the very concept. It sounded wonderful.

But was it worth it? She had pined after Sasuke for _so_ long, and had tried everything to capture his heart. What had it gotten her? Heartache, abandonment, and loneliness.

If she hadn't been so _damned_ obsessed, perhaps she would still have the little blonde livewire to keep her company. She wouldn't have put him in danger chasing the Uchiha all over Fire Country.

Sakura had come to terms with her own stupidity where _that boy_ was concerned. Seeing your weaknesses, Tsunade had told her, was the first step on the journey to removing them. Shedding weakness was crucial.

Sakura had shed Sasuke. She had shed weakness. She had shed love.

Was love weakness?

Asuma and Kurenai would disagree. Her master, the Hokage, would disagree. Naruto would disagree.

Lee would probably have something to say about the power of love as well. After all, it was Lee that sprung from nowhere whenever she was in a bind, like a knight in shining armour—or at least a _baka_ in tinfoil wrap.

The thought of Lee being any brighter brought a smile to Sakura's face. She tossed the apple core away, just as Asuma announced that they should break for water.

* * *

Kakashi watched Shizune watch him from behind her cup of tea. The little teahouse provided some privacy, and it had that deliciously cozy atmosphere that most eateries tried a little too hard to capture.

The tea was good, and the conversation was better.

The two Jounin were laughing together, recalling different stories about Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Minato. Kakashi stated that Konoha had the best teachers, if not the most eccentric. Shizune giggled at his self-depreciatory attitude, but assured him that she—genuinely—agreed with his sarcastic statement.

Before long their teas were finished, and the pair of Jounin gave their seats to some older ladies who were coming in for what appeared to be their daily cup of chai.

"Where would you like to go next?" Shizune asked, smiling up at her friend.

"I thought you might enjoy training together. I've been getting fat without Gai around to spar with." Kakashi teased, patting his thick vest.

"Kakashi, you're anything but…" Shizune didn't finish her sentence. A raindrop bounced off of her nose. Kakashi peered upwards to see the sky opening up to release a torrent of larger raindrops.

The Jounin both ran to the nearest available shelter; the tight little enclave that led to some villager's front door.

The rain pounded the street, but Kakashi didn't really notice. His attention was caught by the smattering of pretty freckles that decorated Shizune's blushing, wet cheeks.

His gaze dropped down to the little pink rosebud that was her mouth.

_Don't do it, Kakashi._

But Kakashi _did_ do it. Shizune seemed to enjoy it as much as he had, because when he was finished, she asked him to kiss her again.

Those were the last words spoken by either ninja for quite some time. 

* * *

**Well, that's that. What do you guys think of Shizune and Kakashi together? I think they're kinda cute.**

**I'm sorry to have been gone for so long, guys, I really am. I just couldn't seem to write this chapter at all. Anyway, much thanks to aserora and LeeXSaku Rocks for kicking my ass enough to sit down and write this up. You're both awesome people. **

**I've got a boatload of reviews, too, and those reviews really do make it all worthwhile. **

**[Dominater461- Haha, glad you liked seeing things a little violent. I'm not sure that's what Lee'll do, but who knows. Sadly, I don't think that The Ninth Gate has another 30 chapters in it, but there may be a sequel! Thanks for the review, buddy.]**

**[Silent Hero 13- Thanks for all the reviews! I hope you like this chapter as much as the others.]**

**[JuneGilbertVivianRaeven- Sort of a filler chapter here. Nothing resolved, except for the fact that *if* Lee can kick butt, he and Kakashi are safe. Thanks for the reviews.]**

**[aserora- Here ya go. I rolled out of bed this morning, and after doing my first 500 pushup set of the day, logged onto my computer and read your PM. As soon as I read it, I knew that I had to update today. Thanks for the encouragement.**

**As far as the Tenten vs Sakura situation... You're right, I've written 22 chapters with Tenten in mind. It'll be hard to give Lee to Sakura outright, but since the poll isn't closed yet, I'll just have them compete for a little while. Sakura's only winning by 3, after all.]**

**[LeexSaku Rocks- Here's your update! enjoy! Thanks for the review.]**

**[casey10rok- Haha, glad you've enjoyed the first few chapters. Keep reading! Thanks for leaving a review.]**

**[madokaburger- Looks like you'll see some LeeSaku. Even if Tenten gets 10101010 votes, the fact that Sakura is leading the race at the moment means that the next few chapters will have to contain some serious LeeSaku fluff.]**

**[willumilove- haha, nice miniature fanfic there. The poll decide pairings in this story, so votevotevote! Thanks for the review.]**

**[ihatenalu- I don't think anybody'll be giving birth in this story, time just doesn't allow for it to happen. follow me, maybe you'll see a one-shot sometime. Ty for the revieww!]**

**See you, space cowboy. I don't own Cowboy Bebop either, litigators. **


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